The goodness of God shines on you every day! Literally! God created a world full of His glory and goodness. His sun shines on you, His rain waters the earth around you, and His flowers bloom before your eyes. The beauty of creation points to the love and beauty of the Creator.
Psalm 19 delivers this message: “The heavens declare the glory of God (vs. 1)” and “God has pitched a tent for the sun… nothing is deprived of its warmth (vs. 4,6).” David, who wrote this psalm, sees the glory and goodness of God in the created world. God’s goodness leads to trust in His word. David says “the statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,” “more precious than gold,” and “sweeter than honey” (vs. 7, 10).
The goodness of God leads to trusting His word. Trusting God’s word leads to living His way:
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (vs. 14).
Don’t get it flipped! It’s so easy to turn Christianity into a list of duties. Instead of slogging through a list of religious chores, get reconnected with the love and goodness of God. Everything else will follow naturally.
Look up at the sun and clouds. Pause and see the majesty of a starry sky. Notice the intricacy of a flower in bloom. Unburden your soul for a moment and still yourself to see: creation declares that God is real, He is good, and you can trust Him. He demonstrates His love for you in the created world, and most of all, in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
People can experience this same message for themselves on the New Day Nature Trails. Peace, beauty, and the glory of God rest on this land. Walk the trails. Experience God. Pray that others would see Him as they walk the trails. Warmly greet any neighbors you meet. Share the good news. Pray for someone. Doing this is a direct expression of making the meditation of our hearts and the words of our mouths pleasing in the sight of God. Why? Because we see His glory, goodness, and love for us. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).