Schermerhorn Symphony Center

There are times when I look out the window into our backyard and I am amazed at the creativity of our God. The variety of birds that come to the bird feeder and to the birdbath is wonderful, and it just comprises a miniscule sampling of the birds that He created for His world.

Some are so graceful and fast that our eyes cannot take in their flight unless it is captured in slow motion.

hummingbird-at-feeder-c — Precious hummingbird approaching the feeder.

Others blend in with the surroundings, but they always seem to appreciate the shelter from the snow!

bird-winter-food-c — Little bird taking cover from snow under the bird feeder “awning”!

The cardinal is young and is not yet fully colored, but he will be a brilliant eye-catcher when he is older!

bird-at-feeder — Young cardinal looking around the side of the feeder.

Some are dusty colored and demure in their plumage, but they create such beautiful music with their cooing and rustling feathers when they take wing!

bird-2-c — Mourning dove at the bird bath.

Some are bright in their coloration, and they shine in the sunlight.

used-birds-american-goldfinch-c — Yellow goldfinch standing brightly on a stem.

Each kind of bird brings his own beauty, sound, and sight to the yard. The variety of colors and of sounds from the numerous birds, both visible and hidden in the trees, brings to my mind the description that God gives of His people and His church.

By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

Isaiah 45:23

“so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:10-11

In the book of Revelation, John records the vision that he had of the end times, of the church and of the activities in heaven. In chapter 5 at verses 9 and 10 we read:

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” [Emphasis mine]

Then, to top it off, that same chapter states in verse 13:

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” [Emphasis mine]

Imagine the sound as millions of voices join in the same song of praise.

Schermerhorn choir and musicians — The choir and symphony ready for the music to begin at the Schermerhorn concert hall in Nashville, Tennessee.

Even now, I get chills when a choir powerfully sings of God’s grace and His love. I cannot imagine the glorious euphony that will be raised when all of us are praising God through song, even those whose voices on earth sounded more like a “caw” than a “chirp”!

Scripture clearly states that through Christ’s blood and his sacrifice, He ransomed us as a people for God, and this group of people is comprised of Christians from around the world, encompassing “every tribe and language and people and nation”. This means that we will worship in different ways and we will sound different in our language, but the meaning will be the same – our God and our Savior will be praised, adored and glorified.

Some may worship in grand and glorious cathedrals.

notre-dame-cathedral-in-paris — Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Others may worship in a wood frame church in the mountains.

cades-cove-church — Wooden church in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.

Just as the creatures in nature are not clones of each other, we are not going to look alike. Just as each creature has its own unique sound/language, we do not all have the same language. But if the God who is worshiped in each of these places is the God of the Scripture, the God who sent His Son to save His people from their sins, all of these folks will join together in one glorious song of praise to the King of Kings, now and for all eternity.

So, why wait until heaven?

Start now – praising the Lord for His glorious creation. Praising the Lord for His wondrous works to the children of men. Praising the Lord for His sovereignty and providence. Praising the Lord for His grace and mercy towards his people through salvation from their sins. Praising the Lord in song or by making a joyful noise. Praising the Lord in your heart and in your soul, as you remember all His kindnesses and mercies showered upon you each moment of every day.

David put it quite succinctly, repeating the imperative throughout the Book of Psalms:

Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 106:1

Father, I thank You for your grace, mercy and love as is evident in your creation that is all around us. i thank You for your Spirit that dwells in each believer in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I praise your holy name for all the gifts and benefits bestowed upon me through no merit of my own, especially salvation through Jesus Christ. I thank You and praise You now, and forever more.

Beauty. Our culture seems to idolize the beautiful people. Mega-dollar industries have been built on providing cosmetics, beautifying potions, exercise machines to make the body sleek, to name just a few examples, all for making people beautiful. But what is beauty, really? Is physical beauty really what is important?

The Merriam Webster online dictionary [found at http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/] provides one definition of “beauty” as “The quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit; loveliness.” I like this definition.

In his book, The Holiness of God, p. 196-7, Dr. R. C. Sproul states that God is the source of beauty. Indeed, that beauty is one of the attributes of our Divine Creator.

God Himself is the ground of all unity and diversity, of simplicity and complexity. His very being is internally consistent and harmonious and proportionate. In him there are no distortions, no disorder, no ugliness. His voice admits to no noise or cacophony. The works of his hands are cosmos, not chaos. Chaos is marked by disorder and confusion; it is manifest irrationally. The beauty of God is a sane and rational beauty in that his being is one of perfect sanity and order. Insofar as the beautiful bears witness to these qualities, they bear witness to Him. … To cultivate an appreciation for beauty is to set our course to follow after the sublime Author of all beauty.

Appreciation for beauty is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures are particularly appreciative of the beauty of nature. God announced that creation was good in Genesis and, after the creation of mankind, the penultimate act of creation, God declared it to be “very good”! Then, in Exodus we read:

Exodus 28:2 – “And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.”

These words were spoken by God when He gave the instructions and directions for the Tabernacle to be built in the wilderness and for the dishes and implements to be used, even down to the detail to be included on the clothing to be worn by the priests. Note, God included as a characteristic of the holy garments that they are “for beauty”.

The psalms exhibit an appreciation for God’s handiwork in numerous passages. Consider Psalm 8:1, 3-4:

“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. … When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

Psalm 19:1 states:

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.”

Psalm 104 describes God’s mighty work in creation noting that He set the earth on its foundations and going on to describe the individual parts of creation all under the umbrella of the prayer “Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

Listen to Brentwood Jazz Quartet’s rendition of “All Creatures of Our God and King” from their album The Best of the Brentwood Jazz Quartet.

Take some time to look at the pictures as you listen to the music, and then meditate on the following Scriptures. Renew your sense of the beautiful and praise God for His wondrous works.

Yosemite 2011 WRM 095 Overlook of Kings Canyon National Park (C) — King’s Canyon scenic overlook, California, USA. Majesty and power reflected in the glory of creation.

Psalm 96:6 – “Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.”

Sunset and clouds 3 — Sunset and clouds show God’s pallet of colors!

Psalm 104:19 – “He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.”

Brook trees and mountain Oregon 2009 141 — Mountain, trees and brook in Oregon, USA.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”

Bath Abbey (C) — The door at Bath Abby in Bath, England. Craftsmen creating a beautiful place for worship of a God Who loves beauty.

1 Chronicles 16:29 [KJV] – “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

Baby girl 1 month old — A baby girl, full of promise and beauty.

Proverbs 31:30 – Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

1 Peter 3:3-4 – Do not let your adorning be external–the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear– but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

Ocean verticle sun going down — Sunset over the ocean, an acknowledgement that the day is over but the ocean continues to roar and churn, as ordained by our Creator God.

Psalm 104:25 – “Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.”

Schmerhorn building in Nsahville Symphony and choir ready to perform — The Schermerhorn Symphony center in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Orchestra and choir ready to sing a sacred concert to the glory of God in their performance of Dr. R. C. Sproul’s hymn collection “Glory to the Holy One”.

Psalm 104:33 – “I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.”

Snowy tranquility (C) — Snowy tranquility. Snow blankets our surroundings and causes us to stop and cherish the silent beauty of God’s world.

Psalm 51:7 – Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Father, I pray that my meditation is pleasing to You, for I rejoice in You and your Holy Name. (Psalm 103:34) I pray that these pictures, this music and these humble words would be used by Your Spirit to encourage and strengthen those who read this post. I pray that You would use Your Word to speak to the heart and minds of those who encounter these passages of Scripture. Father, I pray that You would be glorified in all things.