5 Ways Creation Reflects God’s Faithfulness in Our Lives

It is a common practice for us to fall into worry for provision. So often, we hold a scarcity mindset about things. When we look to nature, we see that just as God provides for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, He will care for us as well.

Matthew 6:25-33 paints the picture: "'Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 'Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.'"

If nature relies on provision from God, why do we struggle to seek Him for wisdom, guidance, and assistance in the same way? What if, in the same way He tells the sparrow where and when to find food for her young, we would see that He will do the same for us?

Consider the bleakness of Winter when the branches on the trees are lonely and bare—often so frozen over that they appear lifeless and dead. The calendar says it is the end of February, but there are no signs of life, no hope on the horizon that precious buds of green could ever possibly emerge from the brittle arms of a tree in a matter of weeks. This reflects the faithfulness of God; we know that even if the surroundings do not look like they are going to change, much is happening behind the scenes. Just as Romans 8:28 reminds us that He works all things together for good, we can see that through Winter's barren appearance. We do not need to see to know that soon enough Spring will arrive with hope and beauty. We just need to trust that it will come. In the same way, we must trust that even when things appear hopeless, He has a plan, and we must rely on Him.

Photo credit: © Unsplash/ Beth Jnr

In a similar way, we can also look at the subtle fragrance that emerges towards the end of August—the gentle notes of autumn. All around us, the temperatures are still high, the leaves green and growing, and the terrain of summer is in full swing, yet we know the fall is faithful to return. The sweltering heat of Summer is awaiting a transition to a time of rest. Solomon phrased it in Ecclesiastes 3:1 as, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." 

These seasons show us that in every season, even amid the exhaustion and seemingly endless toil of the seasons, He is faithful to us. Just under our noses, circumstances are shifting just beneath the surface to bring forward new rest, just as in nature, so it is in our lives. God knows the timing of your life just as He knows the timing of the seasons. So keep going.

Job 12:7-10 offers a vivid picture of how the creatures of nature know their Creator, "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."

Humans often attempt to overcomplicate life on earth, thinking everything relies on us to sustain and redeem. When we look to the rhythm of nature, we uncover the great relief that we have a Creator, a Sustainer, a Redeemer, and a Father in the Lord.

As we observe animals, especially that of parents with their young, we can see how God views us as His children. Psalm 91:4 offers a scene: how mother hens will cover, shield, and protect their beloved babies.

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."

If mere birds would do this for their offspring, how much more will our Heavenly Father do for us? This is a powerful verse to cry out to God with, to pray in sincerity, and to find, as a result, the peace that can only come from the Lord. Look to Him for shelter in the storm, for preservation He can usher, and the defense of the One who loves you most in the universe comforting you.

Nature is full of metaphors and parallels, including that of the faithfulness of God. Observing nature provides a glimpse into the Lord's intention for us to bear witness tangibly through the conduit of animals and vegetation that He is faithful to all He has made and created. Just as nature is in complete reliance upon the Lord for every want and need, so we can seek Him for all we need to fulfill the lives we are called to live here on earth. We can also bear witness to the beauty of it all, not just the mere survival, and we can join the mountains and the trees in Isaiah 55:12, "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." To Him be the glory and praise forever; He is indeed faithful.