Still Water Moments: How Do I Worship Thee? Let Me Count the Ways…
Nehemiah 9: 6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.
There are many ways to worship God, the most common being the praise and worship portion of church service. Then there’s dance, poetry, journaling and playing musical instruments. There are some less common forms of worship such as interpretive mime and drawing and/or painting a picture in honor of God. I was recently challenged by my therapist about another form of worship. I was going through a particularly stressful period in my life, and I was sharing with her that one thing that helped to calm me was watching oceanic life videos. While I would be in awe of the myriad of fish in the ocean and their habits, I would actually feel guilty that I found this comforting thinking that instead I should be doing something else in those moments like praying and meditating. While I understand the latter are vital to a relationship with Christ, my therapist shared that we are actually supposed to celebrate God’s handiwork and what He has made. She went on to share how God tells us in Proverbs 6:6 to “Study the ant…”. We can actually worship God by being in awe and amazed by the intricacies, details, and creativity in all that He has made.
This may not be news to you, but it was an eye opener for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always acknowledged God as the master artist when it comes to the beauty of the earth but adding it to my own personal list of ways I worship God was a game changer. I actually had already been doing it, not realizing what I was doing was a form of worship. My favorite place to go is the shore and it is also my favorite place to spend time with God. I sit in a beach chair for hours and just stare at the waves and the expansiveness of the ocean itself. This postures me for worship as I express my appreciation for His artistry of the sea. Sometimes I listen to worship music while I stare at the water, but mostly I listen to the waves. It is a beautiful time of communing with Him and hearing what He wants to say to me.
I also make a point to acknowledge God and see the beauty in my least favorite biomes. I am not a fan of woodsy type landscapes. The thought of all the insects and furry critters that run around are enough to give me the heebie jeebies. However, God and I had a laugh about this not too long ago when I was driving to work. The beginning of my commute is a four-mile drive on a two-lane road through the woods. One morning I was struck by the lush greenery that surrounded me, and I laughingly told God that I was so happy to experience seeing this enclosed in my car.
Genesis 1 depicts how God created the different features of earth. The story of creation truly displays God’s wisdom, creativity, and power through His ability to flawlessly form earth and man over the first six days. His omniscience and omnipotence were further shown in that within each 24-hour period he created biomes, ecosystems, climates, etc. all with intricate details that are inexhaustible for us to learn about. Let’s take the time to be intentional about worshiping God by acknowledging the intricate beauty He surrounds us with.
Reflection: Have you ever been able to sit quietly and spend time with God in your favorite outdoor environment? If not, would you be open to communing with God in this manner?
