the great outdoors

i have been so inspired during our week in sedona.  the vast and wonderous outdoors.  a lovely and intricate display of God's splendor.  he made all of this for our enjoyment.  for us to steward and subdue and savor.  what a gift.  what a reminder of how big God is.  how creatively he works.  how magnanimous his nature.  how marvelous his design.  no matter where you are, take some time to step outside and admire God's handiwork.  from the tiniest critter to the grandest mountain.  from the pollen in the air to the cool breeze that gently provides relief from the sun.  from the dancing blades of grass to the vibrant spectrum of a sunset.  this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

...

psalm 19:1

the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky aboveproclaims his handiwork.

nehemiah 9:6

you are the Lord, you alone. you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.

psalm 104:24

o Lord, how manifold are your works! in  wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

romans 1:20

for his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. so they are without excuse.

amos 4:13

for behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!

job 28:10

he cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.

psalm 65:5-13

by awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, o God of our salvation, the hope of all  the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. you make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. you visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. you water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. you crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. the pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

psalm 104:24-30

o Lord, how manifold are your works! in  wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. there go the ships, and leviathan, which you formed to  play in it. these  all look to you, to give them their food in due season. when you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. when you hide your face, they are  dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. when you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.