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The beauty of nature: God’s gift to all of us

16 Jun 2016 | Cmdr. Jeff Etheridge; Command Chaplain, MCINCR-MCBQ Marine Corps Base Quantico

The Bible tells us that the Earth is the Lord’s and all that it contains and that the heavens are telling the glory of God. Nature is a gift from God. When God first created man, He placed us in the Garden. As Spring turns into summer I want to encourage us all to go and enjoy the beauty of nature. There are so many opportunities in this area to enjoy the outdoors.

Recently, Marine Corps Community Services opened their Outdoor Adventures office up on Telegraph Road (MCB-1). The office rents a variety of outdoor equipment, including kayaks, canoes, mountain bikes, and tents, as well as fishing poles to help folks get out and enjoy the outdoors.

There is something therapeutic about getting outside and communing with God in Nature. For some of us it is more important than for others. But all of us can benefit from slowing down and getting outside and refreshing ourselves with the beauty that God has created. Perhaps one of my favorite names for God is the “Beauty of Holiness.”

You see, God created beauty and the human spirit responds to the beauty He created. Whether it is a sunset or sunrise, blooming flowers or trees, a flowing stream or the beautiful expanse of the skies at night, all these things communicate to us the beauty and reality of God.

God made nature but He is separate from it. And though we can learn a lot about God by viewing and enjoying His handiwork there are things we can only learn about God through His Word. All of us were created to be in a relationship with the God who created everything that exists. So my encouragement to you is to get to know the God who created all the beauty we see all around us.

There is a lot I can learn about you and you about me simply by observing one another. But there are things that I could not learn about you or you about me unless we spoke with one another. The same is true with God.

That is why He has given us the Bible, His Word, so we can learn things about Him that we could not learn about Him by just observing all the things that He had created.

So my encouragement to you is to get out and enjoy the beauty of creation. But also pick up a copy of the Word of God and read it so you can better get to know the One who created all this beauty and longs to have a deep, personal and intimate relationship with you. See you outside!

Marine Corps Base Quantico