Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
This verse hits me deeply. When I grew up in New Jersey, if I'm completely honest, I didn't spend a lot of time in nature. I was a city kid, kind of went in and around about town. I played sports. That was mostly when I was outside, maybe on some grass, but most of my life was spent around concrete, asphalt, and that really was a detriment to my life. I don't know if that's where you're expecting this would go, but the reason it comes to mind when I read this verse is the power of the imagery that is painted by what is shared here, that you would use a metaphor of what is true in creation for the glory of God.
The Invisible Attributes of God
If for most of my life I didn't spend time in nature, what I believe is I was missing parts of the beauty of the visible attributes of an invisible God. In Romans chapter 1, the Apostle Paul's writing and he says something very similar. He says that the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen in creation. The reason this matters is many of us know that maybe there are times where you haven't heard the story of God said to you, articulated through words. Maybe we think about indigenous people groups all around the world, and we wonder whether or not they will hear the Gospel in their ears, in their language. The thing that's interesting about the story of the Bible is all throughout this book, we see that the invisible attributes of God are displayed in His creation.
Habakkuk tells us here how the glory of the Lord will fill the earth. It's just like how there's so much water that covers this planet. That's how much His glory will be seen here on Earth.
A Lesson from the Sea
A few months ago, I went on my first cruise with my family. That was something that I'd never experienced before, and it was sort of this very disconcerting feeling to be on this boat that when you step onto it is massive. I mean, it's just so big. To think that this thing will float feels very disorienting. It's interesting because you set sail, you end up in this body of water that you know in your brain is massive. But I'd never been in the middle of it to where you look around and you don't see any land anywhere.
Here comes this boat that is so big when we're at the dock. But now, standing on the deck and looking at this water, and seeing that there is literally no edge to it anywhere, on any side, you feel so incredibly small. I mean, how do I go from feeling like this massive boat is so big that I can't even begin to contain it, to now? That same boat feels like a speck, like a grain of sand. It's just so crazy to think about the expanse of water on Earth. Here, the writer is using that image to show the power and the glory of God.
Two Things to Remember
Two things come to mind for me today. Number one, just experiencing the beauty of nature as a representation of the glory of God is something that we cannot miss as we go through our daily life, whether it's our commute or picking up the kids or just whatever it looks like on a daily basis. Let's not miss God's glory in creation.
Number two, never forget that in the midst of hard times, in the midst of circumstances that feel challenging, and times when we have questions, when we're full of doubt or hope, God's glory is abundant and all around us. It's important for us to tap into the places where we can remember how His glory is poured out amongst us in ways that we're not thinking about every single day. Be encouraged that God is on the move, even in times and in ways that we're not thinking about.
