My favorite worship sanctuary is the outdoors. You can’t go into nature without seeing the hand of God everywhere. Divine design. Sometimes microscopic. Always beautiful. I often picture myself having crossed over into the great beyond. I sit in a sunlit glade of trees at the foot of God’s throne asking him, “…and why did you put thorns on all the roses and the poison ivy – what was the thinking there?”

There are no better people on the earth than gardeners, and I can’t imagine a gardener that doesn’t believe in God. His incredible handiwork is everywhere. Really, a lot of times when I pray to my Heavenly Father, I request that he assign me work in His gardens when I finally cross over. I know I’ll have some really interesting company.

In the Bible it says:

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 men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20 NIV)

God created the most unbelieveably beautiful background in which to place His most beloved creation, us.

While teaching my youngest son about the planets of our solar system, I came across many wonderfully animated videos about the sun and moon and stars. Then I found a wonderfully done professional video with all of the planets slowly passing by, as if you are seated on a spaceship looking out the back window. The planets are created from actual photographs and it feels very realistic. You travel from the sun all the way to Pluto and each planet is spaced correctly and sized proportionately as they should be. While I was enjoying the experience with my science loving son, a lovely blue planet came into view. He exclaimed, “Look it’s Earth, our home.” And in that moment I saw how proud God must be of His creation. Tears streamed down my face while I held my son. I was held captive in an unexpected moment of awe and gratitude to the loving God who made such a magnificent home for us.

A reader by the name of Jerry Mansour recently wrote to me with information on God, plants, DNA, and the Bible:

Each plant, and indeed each living organism no matter how small, has the same complex type of DNA programming that we have and so we can count on exact and specific characteristics for each plant; including leaf and flower shape, color, texture, fragrance, growth pattern, size, form (erect, creeping, vining, bush, tree, etc.)  Plus each plant has its own specific nutritional profile that is carefully taken up by the roots yet from the same soil (as determined by the exceptional programming at the plant’s headquarters).  As you can see, I am both a science student and Bible believer and have taken an extensive look at our own DNA…which if it could be extracted from all the cells in just one of us (humans) and laid end to end would reach all the way to the sun and back over 600 times.  A truly exceptional design.

One of my favorite pastors, Louie Giglio, who shepherds a large congregation in Atlanta, gives an awe inspiring sermon on science and the Heavenly Creator. It is amusing and impressive and shows us that the hand of God is everywhere around us.

I love the fact that in Genesis we get to see the gardener and artist in our Heavenly Father. After every precious thing that He made He looked at it and “saw that it was good.” It reminds me of myself, after a day of sweat and labor, leaning on the handle of my shovel looking at what I accomplished and feeling satisfied.

There are so many references in the Bible to plants, trees, fruit, flowers, and herbs it would be impossible to quote them all. One very special verse that Jerry reminded me of is:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:1-2 NIV)

How awesome.

I will close with a verse that is most special to me and my family. A verse that is our foundation in good times and bad. It paints an incredible picture:

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV)

Amen and Amen!!!