“Thus says God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which comes out of it; He that gives breath unto the people upon it, and the spirit to them that walk therein…….I will hold you by the hand and watch over you.” Isaiah 42:5, 6
Touching Our Hearts
I came home, once again, with a tender heart after visiting Floyd. I was talking with the Lord, lifting all to Him—and I was suddenly struck by the beauty He surrounds us with. The blues of the ocean, the puffy white clouds floating by, the warm sunshine, the strong mountains, the colorful birds flying outside, the greens of the trees, the hearty flowers that bloom in spite of a lack of water, the succulent plants that flourish in dry surroundings. Each thing I noticed seemed to remind me of God’s goodness and greatness!
Two things came to my heart as all this went through my mind. The first is simply that God created all these things to touch our hearts. He could have created a much simpler, less beautiful world. But He gave us all these “touches of beauty” to feed our souls. He knew we’d need that. I certainly have! On some of my lowest days I’ve been ministered to and touched by the beauty of God’s creation all around me.
And I also thought of the fact that the God who created all these many, many “touches of beauty” is also aware of the detailed needs in our lives. He’s mindful of each need, each care, each sorrow, each burden, each question—and He’s ministering to them in His own loving way each day. I’m not alone when I come home from visiting Floyd with a tender heart. God is pouring His ointment into my heart, even by pointing out the beautiful creation all around me that testifies to His greatness.
“Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes His lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of Him who has perfect knowledge?” (Job 37:14-16)
Just as God spoke to Job long ago, He reminds us of His power and might in creation!
And join me today in looking around at all the marvels of God’s creation. I’m letting Him minister to me by His “touches of beauty.”
“Father, as You watch over Floyd and Sally, would You provide for all their emotional, spiritual, and physical needs. Touch our hearts and show us how we can show our care for them, even as You have cared for us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Staring out my window as the first hints of daylight are creeping up. I’m noticing the shades of green in the grass and bushes, the simple beauty of a gradient gray sky and perfect little rain droplets clinging to tree leaves like diamonds. There’s a lot of hard stuff going on with people I care about right now. But just resting in this simple moment is a reminder that it is well with my soul. Thank you for this devotional, if I hadn’t read it, I would have missed all of this.
Those are some of my favorite verses in Job, reminding me too how detailed and intentional our God is!