“This is my Father’s world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world.
O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

• “This is My Father’s World” by Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1901)

In the middle of November 2020, I spent the whole day outside, walking 15 miles in the Zion wilderness near the Cable and Deer Trap Mountains.  Such breathtaking country!  Everywhere you cast your glance, the miracle of the Creator’s handiwork shines so brightly.  You see it in the majestic mountains and the towering ponderosa pines.  It reveals itself within the loving sustenance of a single deer as it grazes in the valley.  The precision of it can be seen in the intricate, delicate details of a wildflower.  You see an order and design present within the changing seasons – each serving a purpose that God himself has crafted to sustain all He has made.

To be in nature, the world that God has created, is such a comfort to me! It moves my heart and mind closer to God when I am surrounded by it! The man-made world doesn’t hold a candle to it.

When you walk 15 miles, you have a lot of time to think.  This hymn written by Maltbie Babcock came to mind as I marveled at all I saw around me.  I attended a Lutheran grade school growing up and this was always one of my favorite hymns. 

When I finally made it home, I had to look it up.  I wanted to read all the verses again.  I remembered all the verses of the hymn that referenced the Father as Creator, but I had forgotten the other important stanzas – the ones that remind us this world is not ours. 

This world belongs to our Father.  He not only created it, but He is also the Ruler and King over it all.  The conception of your life along with every sustaining heartbeat belongs to Him.  Like the verses that slipped my mind through the years, this fact often evades our thinking – especially now.

We have anxiety about wars in the Middle East, the onset of artificial intelligence and its eventual implications, along with all the difficult economic issues that make it hard to keep afloat financially week to week. We lament over every aspect of life that feels uncertain, out of control, or has come upon us unexpectedly.

But this is our Father’s world!  He and He alone is at the center of all that is allowed and all that is unfolding.  His purposes stand forever 😊

The Scriptures remind us that His thoughts and ways are not our own (Isaiah 55:8).  They are higher and ultimately serve a higher purpose – one that centers in love for all He has created.

Be reminded of this today – no matter what you may be facing and no matter what is transpiring in the world.

No artificial intelligence or technology has the power to ruin us.  No world leader has total control.  No event of life is random, and nothing is outside of His reach.  No single person can alter your destiny or God’s plan for your life. All He creates and all He allows has intention and serves His purposes.  He rules and reigns over all – even the tiniest of circumstances.

Meditate on this today and rest in this powerful truth my friend 😊