Seeing God in Everything

I was power walking with a spring in my step yesterday. That's when I heard this song on my playlist AFTER I posted a photo of the skies that were filled with, what I called “cotton candy” clouds. My post read: “For days God fills His skies with cotton candy – oh, it’s going to be a sweet, sweet day.” Right on God’s queue came Toby Mac’s song, “I see you in everything all day.”

It was a “Way to go, Donna!” from God. I just know it. He saw me recognizing Him in everything little thing, and I’d love to think, “all day”, but I need to work on that! And, I think He was telling me that, too! “Donna, don’t just see me on your walks, but see Me in everything – the beauty all around you AND even the not so beautiful things, but in My hands, they can become beautiful. EVERYTHING is in My hands to produce in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases Me!" (Philippians 2:13)

The truth is this. Every day we have the choice of looking for the good in everything or focusing our attention on all the negativity and bad that is out there. Let's be good-lookers! If you have the chance – listen to Toby’s song, “Everything” first thing in the morning – it will surely put some spring in your steps for the entire day, too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RIp_t3gKZw

"I see You in everything, all day
And every beat of my heart keeps reminding me
I see You in every little thing, all day
No matter where I go I know Your love is finding me
I see You in everything
You're all up in everything

I did a little research and found out where the inspiration came from for this song. Here’s what Toby said on Twitter and Instagram on July 25, 2018: “I was on my way to the studio one day to write this song, a song I had in my head but not really in my heart. So, on the drive, I said a really simple prayer. I said, ‘Daddy, if You want me to write a song other than this one, will You show me something?’ As I continued drivin’, my eyes began to open and I could hear Him saying, ‘Nah, Toby, I’m not gonna show you somethin’. I’m showing you everything.’ Isaiah 43:19 says, ‘I am doing a new thing in the land. It’s springing forth; do you perceive it?’ I walked in the studio that day with a fresh song to write. Yep, a new song in my heart. And I’m gonna fight to keep lookin’ for God in everything all day.”

So, there you go! No wonder Toby’s God spoke to him, like our one and the same God speaks to us. Instead of seeing the ugly and nasty around us – we just need to open our eyes to all the wonders of our wonder-working God! I’m so glad to be on THIS side of blessings! How about you?

"For by Him ALL THINGS were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him." Colossians 1:16

Our Creator's Epic Creation -- the Skies AND You and Me

Sunday morning, on the way to church, I was mesmerized with the Eastern skies. I stopped several times to take photos of the panoramic view of God’s handiwork. Oh my, He was certainly showing off. I told Him so! It was as though He wanted us to see Who could a thousand times over one-up the ability of any brilliant artist on the “human” scale. Michelangelo was sometimes called “the divine one” because his works were so grand and full of strong emotion. I agree that Michelangelo’s works were breathtaking. I have seen many of them, firsthand, but there is only one “DIVINE ONE” and that is our Divine Creator Who set the bar for creativity, artistry, musicality, spirituality, physically and in every other way.

All of creation is God’s epic painting, and the really good news is WE are in the painting. Unlike a landscape on canvas, God’s painting is three dimensional and living and breathing and when He looked at us (humankind) in the beginning, He declared “It is good!” We can gaze up into the sky that God painted with the brush of His Word, "Let there be...." and understand that the God who painted this landscape is the glorious Creator of us. We realize He had a divine purpose for us, just as all of the rest of His creation. We look at this world and see God’s brushstrokes everywhere. It amazes me that anyone could deny that God created all of this.

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” Notice that scripture is in present tense. The heavens ARE declaring and the sky IS proclaiming God’s handiwork. All of nature itself shows the greatness of God. It’s a continual display. And all of that greatness is inanimate. If the inanimate declares His glory and proclaims His handiwork, how much more should we be declaring and proclaiming His awesomeness in living our lives out loud, fulfilling the purposes He had for us? We should be constantly showing off the amazing Creator He is and that He really exists by the way we live as His reflection on this earth!

The sky is preaching the glory of God to us every day. I really sensed that God was showing off on Sunday to get our attention. I suspect that I wasn’t the only one awed by His display of His greatness. I felt honored that He got my attention – not once, but several times as I made my way to church. After church, I looked at the Eastern sky and by then, the painting was blue and white instead of the yellows and reds and oranges and blues that I witnessed earlier. Specifically, the Psalmist wants us to look up and see all the wondrous things God has created.

Again, Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." Creation shouts the glory of God. Whenever we look up our eyes partake of this epic portrait and epic perpetual sermon to the Glory of God.

How do we know God? We look up. We open our eyes and take in His creation and understand that this magnificent work of art has a Divine Artist. Then we take a deep breath of the air of His creation, and breathe out our praise to THE ONE who put it all on display for us, the ones He created and who are on display for the world to see Him in us and see what He saw “And God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)