Not Just the Heavens

There is nothing quite like an azalea bush heavy laden with flowers.


Psalm 19:1-4

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world."

General revelation, that is the 25 cent word which means it should be obvious to all people who observe the glories of nature that an intelligent, majestic and mighty Creator must be responsible. I know that some people who fancy themselves very intelligent look at the same creation I do and see only the hand of random chance. Phooie. That's what I have to say about that. I don't care how many degrees you have. It's as plain as the nose on your face, which by the way is an amazing testament to God's creation all by itself, that chance could not have provided the glorious earth we inhabit. But, I digress...

Around here, regardless of the fact that spring should not begin until next week, it has sprung. There are buds and blooms and pollen rioting all over town. There is something specific that I always look for every spring, and to me, it is like a show-off signature of God Himself. It is found in the bloom of the azalea. Now, as far as plants go, I am not all that fond of the azalea plant. It's not a particularly attractive bush, it has plain leaves that are kind of fuzzy, and really sticky sap. But this time of year, I can't get enough of the azalea. The blossoms are gorgeous, and there is such a variety of vibrant color. Few things thrill my heart like an azalea bush that has been transformed from plain jane to dazzling, breathtaking beauty.

And every azalea flower that I have ever seen, has an amazing leopard-like print inside of it. As far as I can tell, this little flourish serves no evolutionary purpose. And every time I see it, it seems to me that God is showing off a little bit. As if to say, "the brilliant petals of this flower are mighty impressive, but look closer and you will see my glory displayed just a bit more."

Here are a few pictures from my backyard, including some close-ups that show the leopard-like pattern I am referring to.



You can see it best in the last picture of the light pink azalea. The neat thing is, in every different shade of flower, there is a corresponding shade to the pattern inside. The light pink flower has a dark pink print, the white flower has an almost green pattern, the hot pink flower has an even bolder pink printed inside. The combinations are as endless as the shade of the flower itself. I love it.

So, yes, clearly the heavens declare the glory of God. But they aren't the only thing, not by a long shot. Take a look around you and find something that is not so obvious to admire in God's beautiful creation. I hope it will bless your soul like it has mine.