God Speaks in Flowers

 

My husband and I recently returned from a very quick road trip to Queensland. As we travelled the roughly 5000km (return), we enjoyed picturesque sunsets, wide expanses of treeless plains, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, colourful flowers and an abundance of cloudless skies.

In reading over some of my keepsake quotes today, I came across this one.

“God spoke today in flowers and I who was waiting on words

 almost missed the conversation”

What a powerful thought!

How many times do you find yourself waiting on God to speak? You read your Bible, you listen to sermons, you write out scripture verses to encourage you to memorize and yet sometimes, you miss the conversation God wants to have with you?

Sometimes God speaks in flowers.

Sometimes he speaks in the sunrise. Sometimes he speaks in the sunset. Sometimes in the wind or the rain. Sometimes he speaks in the ocean waves as they crash upon the shore. Sometimes in the rustling of the leaves high above the forest floor.

Are you listening?

Okay, so am I talking in riddles? What in the world do I mean?

What I’m trying to tell you is that God speaks through his creation. All throughout the Bible we see references to God revealing himself through creation.

I absolutely love the sky! Ask anyone who knows me well, and they will tell you of my love for clouds, stars, sunsets and sunrises. I can often be found gazing up at the clouds, whether on a walk, or sitting on a rooftop, or simply driving along (in which case I often have to pull over in order to take it all in) and if you are part of our family chat, you will be inundated by photos of the skies, at any time of day or night. (and I make no apology for it!)

One of my favourite go to verses in regard to this is found in the Psalms.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

As we look up at the sky, it shouts the glory of God. It cries out and draws our attention to God’s awesome power, not only as Creator but also as sustainer of life and giver of mercy and love. This verse illustrates how that not only are the heavens beautiful, but they testify to God’s amazing artistry and craftmanship. Every time we lift our gaze to the skies, we are reminded of his greatness, and it urges us to give him praise. Or it should!

In the book of Romans, we see that God’s attributes are evident in his creation. By observing nature, we get a glimpse of his power, and it challenges us to recognize his presence. We have no excuse for not acknowledging him.

Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Not only are my eyes drawn to the heavens, but they are also drawn to the ground beneath my feet. Flowers are another passion of mine. I marvel every time I see a beautiful bloom, handcrafted and designed by the very hand of God. (Genesis 1:11,12)

There are quite a few references in the Bible to flowering plants. The lily, rose, fig and olive tree are just a few.

Now, I’m no botanist, but in doing a little google research, they say that there are almost 400 000 flowering species in the world! That is an incredible amount of God’s creativity and beauty before our eyes, in every and any part of the world.

So, how does God speak in flowers? Or waves? Or clouds or any part of nature we admire?

All of creation sings God’s praises (Psalm 66:4) and as we enjoy the beauty of what we see and experience in nature, the song they sing breathes life into our being and causes us to have a heart of worship for God, the creator and sustainer of life. It is literally God speaking to us!

He is speaking to us in flowers. He is calling us to stop. To rest. To enjoy. To listen. To worship.

Psalm 96:11-12 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

We are often so busy, and our days are so crowded with noise that we fail to enjoy what he has given us in the form of the beauty of his creation.

He longs to have a conversation with us. He longs to see us sit and soak in a sunset, watching the sun dip below the horizon as the clouds project a rainbow of colours across the sky. But he doesn’t want us to just enjoy the sight, he wants us to enjoy his presence.

God doesn’t just exist within the four walls of a church building. He is not only present around your dinner table as you give him thanks for the food. He is not only near as you bow your head to pray.

No. He is present everywhere! And that means he is there in the colourful blooms of a flower. He is there in the sunrise. He is there in the waves. And he is waiting to commune with you. He wants to have a conversation with you not only as you read your Bible or meditate on a passage of Scripture. He wants to speak to you through the wind, the rain and the sunshine.

We have to quiet our hearts, open our ears, and with a humble and teachable heart, listen for his still, small voice. Let him speak to you as you stop and rest. What is it he wants to say?

Now, in case this all sounds strange, let me try and explain it a little better.

Sometimes as I stare at a flower I have picked because of its beauty and colour, I look at it in wonder and as I look, sometimes, I hear a voice. Not an audible voice, but a voice in my soul that brings peace to my heart.

Maybe I’ve had a bad day and God reminds me, through the flower, that he is a good God. He reminds me that there is still beauty to be seen in my day. He reminds me that he cares about the flowers, sending the rain and the sunshine and because I know he cares for them, I know he cares for me. (Matthew 6:28-30) He reminds me that, as Creator, he made all things, and he has a purpose for all things, so I am reminded he has a purpose for me. He has a plan for my life, just as he has a plan for all of his creation.

Remember that God not only speaks through the pages of your Bible, through actual words on printed paper, but he also speaks through nature. Don’t miss the conversation he wants to have.

Every living thing is called to praise the Lord.

Psalm 150:6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

The next time you pick a flower and admire its beauty, listen for God’s voice. The next time you hear the melody of a bird song or experience the coolness of the waves as they wash over your feet as they sink into the sand, let God speak to you. Listen for his voice.

Take time to worship him, giving him praise just as creation does.

I want to leave you with a beautiful Psalm, and can I encourage you to read it through in its entirety? It’s easy to skim over it without much thought but read each word and take note of who and what it is that is commanded to praise God.

If you can get a hold of the fact that everything God has made has a duty to praise him and give him glory, maybe you will find a song of worship rising from your heart and rolling off your tongue as you lift your song of praise to him.

God is speaking to you in flowers, don’t miss the conversation.

 

Psalm 148

Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.

Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.

Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.

He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.

Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:

Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:

Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:

Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:

Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:

Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:

Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.