A Bounty of Beauty

Don’t you just love “October’s bright blue weather”?

This month holds many of my favorite things: pumpkin patches, persimmons scattered throughout a hillside, hickory nuts in my grandparents’ front yard, acorn dolls, birthday picnics at scenic overlooks, hayrides, red delicious apples, haunted houses, pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing, fall festivals, and brilliant maple trees. I think God might have created the world during the month of October, and He saw that it was good, very good!

As we head toward the last few months of 2022, I’d like to encourage you to savor the sweetness and wonder of nature as you devote time each day in the Word. The Wonders of Nature (©2016 by Worthy Inspired) offers 365 reflections upon God’s bounty of beauty.

Day 16: “God fills the earth with His wonders. His power and glory are evident in all of His creation. Mountains, rivers, oceans, valleys, and all He has made attest to His power and glory.”

Day 297: “October promises colored trees and crisp nights. Often, we sit on the porch steps and gaze up at the stars. Our dogs sit next to us, and our kitty climbs on top of us, purring contentedly. We wear cozy jackets and stare starry-eyed at God’s canopy.”

Day 309: “God’s gifts abound in nature, both in the grandeur of the mountain and in the gentle wind through a wheat field. They surround us in every moment, a present to appreciate—the flowers, the turning leaves, and the glory of a simple field.”

All these thoughts remind me of one of my favorite hymns, “For the Beauty of the Earth” by Folliot S. Pierpoint:

“For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light, Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.”

These words and other verses often come to mind during this time of year. When I walk around the block in the mornings and see the sun squinting through the trees, when I pass by an array of chrysanthemums at the farmer’s market, when I feel the crisp breeze on my face, when I witness a gorgeous sunset—all these moments remind me of the greatness of God.

I have never been much of a camper or hiker or outdoorsy person. My family often took camping trips when I was a child, but I honestly preferred the conveniences of a Holiday Inn to a sleeping bag and an outdoor toilet. However, on those occasions in October when I have hiked through Savage Gulf or Old Stone Fort or witnessed the wonder of a nearby waterfall or walked the greenway in my hometown, I can almost sense the psalmist’s sentiments when he declared, “I will lift up my eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.”—Psalm 121:1

Martin Wiles describes the “marvel” of God’s beauty in his devotional book A Whisper in the Woods (©2019 by Ambassador International).

As the author and his brother were once hiking in the mountains of South Carolina, his brother noted, “You wonder how all this got in one place.” After spending the first two days of their hike simply soaking in the beauty of nature, they started searching for wildflowers on nearby trails.

“The first trail gave us a rare gaze on patches of the Oconee Bell wildflower. We marveled as small white bell-shaped flowers hung from small plants with rounded green leaves. But the second of the three trails . . . surpassed our dreams. Blooming wildflowers decorated the sides of the trail and the adjoining woods for more than a mile as we made our way to the awaiting waterfall. Many we’d never seen before, flowers that make their appearance only for a short time in early spring, such as purple trillium, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and May Apple. So many shapes and sizes.”

Then looking upward in response to his brother’s wonderment, the author says, “The earth—and everything on it—speaks of the majesty of the Creator.”

How did all this get in one place? We have an amazing God, that’s how!

While doing research several years ago, I discovered that almost 4,000 species of birds live in the Amazon rain forest. How did all those birds get in that one place? God did it!

“Our God is an awesome God. He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power, and love. Our God is an awesome God.”—Michael W. Smith

Yes, what a bounty of beauty lies in what He has created!

To help children understand more about God’s creation, Jessica Doebler’s God Is in Nature (©2021 by Z Kids) shares devotions about fields and parks; rivers, oceans, and lakes; deserts; forests and mountains; and space.

In the selection entitled “God’s Grand Hands,” Doebler states, “God’s hands do big things and awesome miracles! He forms planets and hangs the stars in the sky. He causes the wind to blow and paints rainbows for us to enjoy. He is great and awesome.”

The author aptly sums up the beauty surrounding us in her final devotion:

“The Bible says that nature shows there is a God. Even to people who do not have His Word. Simply by exploring the detailed beauty of nature, anyone can recognize the invisible God who lovingly put it all into place.”

All too often we take for granted the passing days and the beauty those days contain, but finding time for a daily devotion and a daily walk with God can draw us closer to our Creator and help us appreciate the bounty of beauty He has created.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise grateful praise for Your blessings and for the bountiful beauty of Your earth.

“O suns and skies and clouds of June and flowers of June together, Ye cannot rival for one hour October’s bright blue weather.”—from Helen Hunt Jackson’s poem “October’s Bright Blue Weather”

“October is the treasurer of the year, and all the months pay bounty to her store.”—from Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “October”

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.”—Psalm 19:1

“He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.”—Psalm 104:19

Ecclesiastes 3:11; Psalm 108:4; Psalm 8:3-4