The slowly sinking sun cast a path of gold across the rippled waters.

I stood by the ship’s railing and let the breeze rush over me.

For the past couple days my family had been traveling in the northeastern United States to visit sites of historical significance. The next adventure up had been a whale watch. After a long boat ride out into the ocean we had reached the area where the humpback whales were supposed to be.

And there they were!

The giant mammals thrust their noses above the water as they sought to catch their aquatic food in their mouths. It was so exciting to watch!

Someone on the ship’s crew told us that seeing such a large whale feeding was not guaranteed. I was sure the Lord must have sent the creatures to feed on that particular day at that particular spot and at that particular hour just for us.

As the ship traveled home, I watched the sun shine on the water and wished I could spend my life on boats watching and studying whales. Such a life seemed like a golden experience in God’s great outdoors!

While my career path has taken a very different turn in the days since, God’s incredible creation still delights my heart. The truth that He is the Creator is one of the great foundation stones of my Christian faith. It’s one of the key stars of truth in my mental landscape.

We know God created the world because He says so in His Word (Genesis 1:1, Exodus 20:11, Acts 17:24, Psalm 102:25). We see evidence of it in the spectacular design evident throughout all of creation. God’s creating the universe is the only possibility that makes sense as to how this physical world came to be and still functions (Acts 17:28, Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3).

Scripture contains many references to the earth and the heavens, even using the space between them as a visual of how great God’s love is for those who fear Him (Psalm 103:11). Psalm 104 speaks frankly of God’s involvement with His creation even in the here and now. The famous passages in Job 38-41 leave one in awe of how powerful our Creator is and humbled by how truly small we are.

But that’s a rather comforting fact, really. If God is truly the Creator, then life has meaning. We’re not here by chance. If God is the Creator, then to understand the physical world around us, we can start by seeking Him (Acts 17:24-31, Romans 1:20). If God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, then there is Someone way bigger than us in the picture and it’s not all dependent on us.

Well, God is the Creator. We small, little people have meaning, purpose and hope in the midst of this vast and marvelous universe. We can enjoy the splendor of a sunrise, the flutter of a butterfly and the playing of a baby whale because we know who made it all!

As I stood on the ship that day, gazing at the golden path on the water, wishing for an aquatic life, I had a deep sense that God’s call for me would be elsewhere. And it was! God had much better things in mind for me. :)

But looking back at those moments I see that what I was really hungry for was not a career as a whale naturalist. With the fresh sight of God’s marvelous creation all around me, I was hungry to live every day of my life in the glorious presence of my Creator God, to know Him and walk with Him. And that dream the Lord is fulfilling beyond my expectations.

The knowledge that God is the Creator of our universe has multiple implications, but the sweetest for me has been the way it points me back to the Lord and spurs me on to seek Him with even deeper devotion. Walking in the great outdoors with the knowledge that He is at my side to enjoy it all with me is a reality I can’t put a price tag on. Often through the creation around me He reminds me of precious Scriptural truths. The Lord and I even ‘walk’ together through nature photography books. One of our newest is on humpback whales. :)

As you reflect on our Creator and enjoy His creation may your heart find fresh joy in seeking the One who created it all!

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The plane moved slowly towards the terminal and I gazed out the window at the familiar airport sights.

For the past several days I’d been spending time with my maternal grandparents in Nebraska. It’d been so good to see them and have them all to myself! Now Grandma was seeing me home and we were almost there. My heart was racing through the airport to where I knew my Dad would meet us. I could hardly keep my seat.

Finally we disembarked and began our trip through the airport halls. Down to the baggage claim we went and then, oh! There he was! There was Dad!

I broke into a run and in a few moments was clasped in my father’s arms. I was home.

Fresh in the dawn of adulthood and reaching for my independence, I’d discovered I didn’t want it quite so much after all. Back under the visible, watchful care of my godly father, I could smile on the world, take a deep breath and grow just a little slower. :)

The memory of my inner yearning and then mad dash for my father has stayed with me ever since. It provides a vivid analogy for me in terms of my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

One of the most beautiful parts of the Gospel message is that when we receive Christ as our personal Savior (John 1:12) we become part of God’s family (Ephesians 2:13,19). We become a child of God (1 John 3:1). God Himself becomes our Heavenly Father (Romans 8:15-16).

All the wonderful things we can think of about an earthly father, we find ultimate fulfillment of in God. For example, He is loving (Romans 5:8), He is protective (Psalm 121:7-8), He is wise (Romans 11:33-34), He is generous (Romans 8:32), and He is visionary (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). He is consistent (Malachi 3:6), He is strong (Psalm 24:8), He is creative (Genesis 1:1), and He is adventurous (Exodus 3:10-12). He disciplines us (Hebrews 12:9-10) and teaches us in the way we should go (Psalm 32:8).

But one of the characteristics of my Heavenly Father that is especially dear to me is that He is eternal (1 Timothy 1:17). He will never stop being my Heavenly Father (John 10:28-30). He will be there always. He cannot die.

There will never be a time when my heart cannot run to greet Him in my quiet time or run to seek His counsel when a work project gets overwhelming or run to share the glory of some new discovery about life. He’ll always be there with a Father’s love and wisdom. He’ll always be beside me to share the adventures of life. There’s a sense in which I will always be His little girl. And I’m so very, very glad!

May your heart be filled with joy today as you reflect on your Heavenly Father’s great love for you.

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Some moments in life are unforgettable.

Perhaps they are dramatic or exciting or sadly, even traumatic. Other times they come like a gentle whisper that takes its place on the shelves of our memories like a candle that never goes out.

One such gentle moment came to me years ago.

It was evening.

The small, upstairs room of the farmhouse was dim. A dear friend of ours had just had her third child. My mom and I had come up for a few minutes to see the baby.

Mom gathered the precious newborn in her arms and we admired the baby together. I think I held the baby too. I can’t quite remember.

As I stood there and looked from the young mom to the precious baby, I saw the miracle of life as I never had before.

“You can’t tell me there isn’t a God.” The thought took up quiet residence in my mind.

I was filled with sacred awe. I knew I was looking at a miracle. This was something that never could have happened by chance. I knew enough science to know the fact intellectually. But seeing it for real was an utterly different matter. It was just common sense. It was just the truth.

The memory of that moment has stayed with me ever since. It sits as a metaphorical cherry atop the substantial reasons why I believe in God.

We know God does exist because of the testimony He has left for us in creation (Romans 1:20) and because He says so in His Word (John 1:1-2). The existence of a Creator God is the only explanation that makes sense of the universe. We know what God is like through the general revelation of the created universe (Romans 1:20), the special revelation of His Word (2 Timothy 3:16) and through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). He came to show us who God is (John 1:18) and He is God (John 8:58). For believers, we know God exists in a very personal way through His Holy Spirit within us (John 16:13) and our personal relationship with Him (1 John 1:3).

The truth that God exists is one of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. It’s one of the most important ‘stars’ of truth in our mental landscape. God’s existence is not dependent on our belief either.

He exists whether we believe it or not. Whether we feel it or not. Clouds may obscure the stars of the night sky, but the stars are still there. It’s the same for us. God exists whether we feel Him or not, whether we see Him or not. And we can tell ourselves that even when life seems out of control.

As I child I learned that God exists from my parents and the Word of God. Now as an adult I know it even more deeply, both from the Word and from personal experience. The sight of the newborn and her mother was one such sweet personal experience.

May the truth that God exists fill you with fresh joy as you serve Him today!

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