“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” Proverbs 25:2 The more I spend time in God’s creation the more I find wonder in it. When I explore the wonder, I see new ways in which God self-discloses Himself to us through what He has made. God has hidden His glory in the richness of creation. It’s our glory to discover what’s been hidden. All the amazing details of creation point to Him. The Bible tells us creation is a revelation of God. For each time we examine something in creation we can discover something new and wonderful about God. Read all of Proverbs 25. PS You may have noticed I posted a lot of Rocky Mountain National Park photos the past week. I promise to be more diverse in the days ahead 😀. I heard on the radio the other day that lately a lot of people are using Google and Yahoo to ask the question, “Is there meaning to life?” or “What is the meaning to life?” A trail my family and I took on a fall hike in Fontenelle Forest, Nebraska. I think Christians sometimes even find themselves asking those kinds of questions. But all a believer needs to do is to dig into God’s Word. The words of the Bible provide an answer to the question, “Is there meaning to life?” As the apostle Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. (John 6:68).” And James 1:12 says, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” What about nature? Can nature answer that question for us? The Bible tells us that nature is another revelation of God. Psalm 19 and Romans 1 tell us that nature’s voice goes around the world declaring the glory of God and His attributes. Everyone hears and sees nature’s declaration about God. The biblical character Job declared to his friends, “But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; and let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, whose hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind (Job 12-7-10)?” If nature proclaims the living God then it would make sense that it also proclaims that there is meaning to life. But how can we find meaning in nature? Leaves on the forest floor near a trail in Fontenelle Forest. A walk in the woods can reveal many things about God. My wife and kids and I love to go hiking. During a particular fall hike, we watched the leaves slowly drift to the ground in a gentle breeze. Many of those leaves covered the trail and the forest floor. I talked with my kids about the leaves and wondered with them if the purpose of a fallen leave was done? The answer to that question is “no.” A leaf that falls to the ground still has purpose. The leaf and many others that pile on the ground may give something a warm place to hide from the cold winter. And in the following year, all the leaves will break down and become part of the soil, giving life to new plants. So much in nature has a greater meaning than what we see in our first observation. Why do oak trees produce so many acorns? Is it simply so the trees can reproduce themselves? I could tell you as a homeowner with a backyard oak tree that oak trees have no trouble reproducing themselves. If it wasn’t for me running over lots of “little oaks” with the lawnmower, we’d have a lot more trees in the backyard. Is it possible that there is a greater meaning to Oak trees producing so many acorns? Yes! God feeds many of His wild creatures with these acorns. Squirrels, deer, bears, blue Jays and many other animals find substance in all those acorns. A squirrel enjoys an abundance of acorns on our back deck. The oak trees not only help the animals, but the animals help the oak trees. Blue Jays and squirrels bury the acorns to maintain a winter cache. They bury so many they don’t eat them all. By burying them and not eating them all, the animals spread the acorns around giving the trees new places to grow. Clearly, just as nature shows us that there is meaning to all the acorns trees produce, there is likewise a meaning to life. I could probably write a book about how nature shows us a meaning to life. Perhaps I should someday, but for now these two simple examples show us how nature reveals meaning to life. What ways have you discovered how nature shows us meaning to life? Isaiah 43:20 and a Coyote, Moraine Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. “The beasts of the field will glorify Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I have given waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give … Continue reading → To Search Out God’s Glory
Proverbs 25:2 and Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain above Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
Our Glory to Search Out God’s Glory
Finding Meaning to Life in Nature
Nature and Meaning to Life
A Walk in the Woods
An Abundance of Acorns
The Goodness of God and His Creation
Psalm 50:10 and a Bison Herd, Custer State Park, South Dakota. “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” Psalm 50:10 All the … Continue reading → I love talking about God in the Outdoors I love talking about God’s creation and I recently had the opportunity to do that with Pete Rogers, the host of the … Continue reading → Cattle on a Thousand Hills
Podcast About God in the Outdoors
A Different Kind of Bible Verse of the Day
Six days a week I post a Scripture verse or passage along with a picture of nature. The two together work to encourage people through God’s Word and God’s creation. I desire to reach people around the world with this daily Bible verse and creation photo so they may know the greatness and goodness of God.
As an outdoor photographer I spend a lot of time outside. I enjoy spending time in nature even when I’m not taking pictures. My family and I like to go for walks or hikes to enjoy the beauty of just being outside. Often, I bring along my Bible and a journal to reflect about God during a hike or walk. As a result, I have learned that God speaks to us through His creation and the creation speaks to us about God.
The Bible tells us that creation reveals many of God’s attributes (Romans 1:20 and Psalm 19). Through nature we see God’s power, transcendence, majesty, glory, beauty, provision and so much more. May these pictures and daily Bible devotional help you to see these qualities of God reveled through His creation.
Ways to receive The Visual Bible Verse of the Day
The Visual Bible Verse of the Day comes to you free of charge. You can visit this site daily or sign up to receive the Scripture verses and pictures by email. What’s nice is that you can control how often you receive The Visual Bible Verse of the Day. When you visit the free subscription you’ll see several options. The first one allows people to receive the Scripture verse and picture daily. But for those who want to limit the quantity of emails I offer a three day a week option and a two day a week option. We also produce a Bible Verse of the Day for mobile devices.
A little Bit About Me
Before jumping into nature photography I worked as a newspaper photographer and then joined the missionary organization Campus Crusade for Christ (now called Cru). I worked as a photojournalist with Campus Crusade’s magazine,Worldwide Challenge. While working with the magazine, I had photo assignments in seven different countries and 24 different states. Traveling and photographing in the U.S. and internationally, gave me a wealth of knowledge and experience about life, people, and culture.
Today, I work as full-time freelance photographer, teach photography part-time and work as creation speaker. But as a result of my days with Campus Crusade, I still have a heart and passion for ministry. I want to bless people through my photography and Bible verse of the day. I hope you enjoy this site! Finally, I encourage you to get outside to enjoy God’s creation and dig into God’s Word daily. Blessings!