Awesomeness II
Sometimes you have to go to the other side of the world to be reminded of the awesomeness of God. As I shared last week, a severe thunderstorm reminded me of how powerful the Lord is. This week, it was an amazing game drive.
Driving through Pilanesberg National Park several hours from Pretoria, South Africa, my wife and I and her brother and sister-in-law had the privilege to witness the awesomeness of God through his creatures. Have you ever just contemplated the peculiar nature of each animal, bird, and insect? Who could have thought of the anatomy of an elephant? Or the hide of a zebra? Or the appearance of a rhinoceros? What about the giraffe or the warthog? The various colors of birds and the uniqueness of their songs? And think of the myriad of insects, all unique and complex. I could go on and on.
During our 8-hour drive through the bush, we experienced the wonder of many of these animals, birds, and insects. We saw elephants, hippopotamuses, and rhinoceroses up close and experienced their sheer size and strength. (We were even chased a quarter of a mile by a bull elephant protecting his herd.) We saw giraffes and the enormity of their height while still being able to reach the ground with their heads. We saw all these animals interacting with and protecting their young. To watch these beasts care for their little ones was a sight to behold. We watched some birds making intricate nests and others fishing along the muddy edges of a lake. And we watched the dung beetle roll up a perfect ball of dung and push it along the road.
My wife and I like to watch nature shows, but we always are bemused when the narrators imply that the animals are the authors of their own unique looks and abilities. That somehow they figured out the best camouflage for themselves or the best hunting technique. The world these men and women attempt to create is a world without a Creator.
Yet to me it is obvious when you see many of these creatures up close that they exist because the Creator chose to create them. It’s almost as if you can see his signature on each one of them—“The Almighty God.” Signed works by famous artists are worth millions of dollars. These “signed” works of God are priceless because of their awesomeness. There is no one like him in the world. Again, how thankful we can be for the privilege of being called his children and called to be his partners in his work.
(Author’s Note: This is my last post until mid-January 2022. I’m going to take some time to relax and celebrate the holidays with our family in South Africa. May you have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year!)
© Jim Musser 2021
