Sometimes we see things so often that we don’t really look at them anymore. When was the last time you stopped to watch a beautiful sunset, gaze at a canopy of clouds, or look up in wonder at a cluster of stars? We are surrounded by the natural world, but we can only understand our place in it—our connection with all of creation—when we take the time to reflect on the beauty around us.
The more we do, the closer we feel to the divine. As the Psalmist exclaimed, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1). Truly, God has placed evidence of His love all around us.
But too often, we go about our busy life without even noticing the soft song of a bird, the delicious smells after rainfall, or the stunning willpower of wildflowers along the road. The earth is full of sights, sounds, and smells to appreciate.
Ralph Waldo Emerson had an eye for nature’s wonders—and a gift for describing them. He wrote: “If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.”[1]
Each night, each day, each moment has its own offering of beauty. No matter how many times we’ve seen the stars light up the night sky, the sun settles into the horizon, the snow blankets our world, or a thunderstorm awaken a parched field, we can be inspired. The world is like a living work of art, always changing, always offering something new and beautiful. One day or night is never just like the next. So never take any of it for granted. Stop and see it, as if for the first time, and be awe inspired. Never tire of a sunrise or sunset, a starry night, or a cloudy sky. Use all your senses to experience it. Watch the wonders of this beautiful world, and you will see the hand of God.
[1] Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature (1849), 5–6.
________________________________________
April 10, 2022
Broadcast Number 4,830
The Tabernacle Choir
Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductor
Mack Wilberg
Ryan Murphy
Organist
Andrew Unsworth
Host
Lloyd Newell
Sign-On “Gently Raise The Sacred Strain”
Thomas C. Griggs; Arr. Mack Wilberg
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Stralsund Gesangbuch; Arr. Mack Wilberg
I Know That My Savior Loves Me
Tami Jeppson Creamer; Arr. Ryan Murphy
Prelude On An English Folk Song (O Waly Waly)
Andrew Unsworth
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Johann Sebastian Bach
I Think the World is Glorious
Alexander Schreiner; Arr. Mack Wilberg
It Is Well with My Soul
Philip Paul Bliss; Arr. Mack Wilberg