Re-Creation

It’s a sunny day today!! I have five ‘sunshine songs’ that I sing on a sunny day! On a sunny day in the Pacific Northwest, everyone is happy. It becomes our recreation day-off. We all get outdoors into nature or work in our yards. There’s nothing like it!  We look at the hanging moss-filled trees, the raging clear waters of the river, and we, as believers say, “Wow, God, Your creation is so beautiful!”

But it is not God’s creation! God didn’t create that.

Yes, you are shocked that I say that. Blasphemy you think. And you say, “How can you as a believer in Jesus and the Bible say that?” So let me explain what I mean. 

We Jesus-followers believe the Bible to be true, God’s Word. We read it and talk about all the truths of our salvation and relationship to our Savior and to Holy Spirit. We listen to sermons to encourage us in our faith—all based on the Bible. We believe the Bible.

But the Bible says that the whole world went through a world-wide flood about 4,500 years ago. We call it Noah’s flood. We teach the story to our children in books and Kids Church. We have songs about it. However, interestingly enough, most adults never mention it or talk about it. I suppose we think it is for children, an allegory for us.

But the Bible is clear. Genesis 7:18-20 “The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits.” So the water rose twenty-two feet over the tops of the mountains over all the earth. And if you read what scientists say, (like whom are found on AnswersinGenesis.org or http://www.icr.org), the water underneath the surface was like in the words of the ol’ James Taylor song, a ‘churning urn of burning funk’. 

Furthermore, underground volcanoes and underground water spewed out. The Bible says Genesis 7:11…on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up. So it was a big mess on the whole earth.

O come on, you say, that’s a metaphorical story for children. Genesis is allegorical? Well Isaiah doesn’t agree with you. (Isaiah 54:;7-10). Even the New Testament writers believed Genesis was true. 2 Peter 2:5 “…and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.” Look up Hebrews 11:7. Jesus also talked about it as history in Matthew 24:37-39. If you believe the Bible, dear believer, you must accept the worldwide flood of Noah. Everything was under water.

Now let’s go back to our walk in nature and working in our yard on a beautiful Pacific Northwest sunny day. Imagine that where you are walking was underwater. So when you come at it like that, it makes God even Bigger and Smarter, Kinder and More Merciful! When He created the world, He built into it the phenomenal power of life in all things to restore. So when I look at nature, I personally say, “Wow, God, You are an incredible Restorer of Beauty.” It is so true that God turns ashes into beauty (Isaiah 61:3). He redeems messes—He did it with our earth.

Hey, can I get a bit harsh with you? And with myself? When we think we have made a total mess of things, of our life, or any situation, of tragedies—we must not lose hope! Look at nature. It was trashed and out of it God made Zion National Park, Bryce National Park, Sedona, Arizona, Montana D’Oro State Park, Kings Canyon, just to name my favorites. Let God speak to you through His re-creation. The outcome of a mess, put in the Hands of God our Savior, is Beautiful! Don’t you forget it! Find your favorite nature view and let it speak to you of hope, re-creation and outcomes of beauty.

That’s what I did with my friend last week. Sitting watching the crashing waves at Montana D’Oro State Park, birds swooping, colored rock layers twisted one way and then another. I spoke it out. I spoke the tragedy of losing two grandbabies at birth and the pain of seeing my kids go through doubly horrendous grief. “God you will restore and make a beautiful outcome, as a beautiful headdress, as beautiful as the gorgeous scene I am viewing! You will turn baby ashes into beauty. I can’t imagine how but that’s Your Job and You are really good at it!” 

What’s your mess?  What’s your tragedy from life?

I encourage you to go to your happy place of nature and speak out the Hope of a God who Restores, who Redeems, who makes good outcomes when it seems hopeless. I’m sure we all have to do it more than once, but we can, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We’re God’s kids and He cares.

You are God’s kid and He Cares!