God spoke the earth into being. He breathed life into dust to create Adam. We didn’t see it or hear it, but we are blessed by His creation as evidence of what He did those many years ago. We have the creation account and the history of the Israelites perfectly preserved in the Bible.
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (1)
The Lord still creates each time a baby is conceived. Here’s what the Psalmist David wrote,
“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (2)
When He speaks, it is not “heard” by our ears, but rather through the Holy Spirit that lives within us. Most of the time, the Lord moves invisibly, as He works out His plan to make us into His likeness. He works from a master plan for me, for you and all of His children.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (3)
The other day, as I was walking in the forest, I noticed one of the young sycamore trees shedding its bark. This is a natural process as the tree matures. If you look at an older sycamore, you’ll see the lower bark is dark gray at eye level and gradually takes on a camouflage color as you go up the tree. Ultimately, the top of the tree is white, offering a stunning silhouette against a blue sky. No one seems to know why this happens, except that the Lord designed every tree’s bark individually.
The tree begins the separation process of its bark as it grows toward the heavens. How similar this is to the children of God! The Lord helps us grow into His likeness, and in the process, we shed our sin and become purer. Usually, we don’t physically see him working in our lives, but He is. And just as the Holy Spirit invisibly wooed and called you to be his own, He is working in your life now. Sometimes we must wait for God to do something invisibly before you can take the next step. Trust Him.
Currently, when I look at my garden and my forest walks, I can’t see any evidence of spring. But it is already in motion. Let the slow and awesome change toward spring remind you He is working behind the scenes. What He is doing in our lives may be revealed here or perhaps not until eternity. Then we will see Him as He is, and ourselves as He sees us.
So, if you are impatient for His coming, know that He is still working. If you are impatient with yourself and others, know He is still working. His love infuses everything. And we who are partakers of this love should live and walk in that faith. Keep looking from His point of view.
“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
1 John 3:2
- Romans 1:20 NIV (emphasis mine)
- Psalm 139:16 ESV
- Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV
To read more about the sycamore, use the link provided.
Nature Watch, A blog from the Museum of Life and Science, Durham NC
https://www.natureblog.org/the-big-white-tree-with-the-peeling-bark/
