Celebrity Worship

Nature. I love it. There's just something about it that draws me in and makes me feel at home. I really enjoyed reading this devotional... probably because I love nature so much... especially sunsets. I think of them as presents from God every day!

Celebrity worship
by John Fischer

Once you've experienced the real worship of God through the things he has made, you can't help but think that the rest of creation isn't a bunch of steps ahead of you in this. I know I'm right about this because the Scriptures talk about mountains singing and trees clapping their hands (Isaiah 55:12).

Inspired by this thought, I wrote a song once about a discovery made watching the sun go down over the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly, I saw this as a theatrical presentation anticipated by the rest of God's creation around me.

The rocks are in their places
The seagulls look for theirs
The flowers wait expectantly
Forgetting all their cares
The curtain clouds roll back to let you know
The show has just begun
We're about to see the setting of the sun

Think for a while along these lines and the natural world begins to take on celebrity status. Not only has God created the show, he's created the audience, too, and imbued it with a sense of appreciation that is nothing short of worship - a sort of worship that is going on all the time.

I read in the paper this morning how Los Angeles fashion shows are seating movie stars and other celebrities in the front row - a sort of show within a show - ensuring that cameras will click on the audience as well as the models on the runway. In the same way, it's not only what God is doing in the world that is important, but who (or what) is watching.

Of course we are speaking metaphorically here, but the implication should not be wasted. I believe the Psalmist animates creation in its appreciation of God in order to awaken the same thing in us - and even greater, because of our intelligence. For us not to worship as the mountains and trees are doing all the time is an insult of the highest degree. How can we miss what rocks, flowers, seagulls, and seals do without thinking?

The sky has turned a yellow-gold
With fading signs of blue
The ocean green has turned to gray
With a shining path breaking through
A lonely seal swims by the screen
Diving just for fun
He has come to see the setting of the sun

Spring is coming. There are some gorgeous days ahead. Find yourself a seat on the front row with the other celebrities of nature, even if only in your imagination, and drink it in!

And though the sun must set each day
And come back again
There will be a new sun soon
Whose day will never end
He's the maker of it all
The light of everyone
Soon we'll see the glory of the Son.
The real One

John Fischer is the Senior Writer for Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals. He resides in Southern California with his wife and son. John is also a published author and songwriter.