Isaiah 55:8-13  
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD.
 “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, 
so my ways are higher than your ways 
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. 

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens 
and stay on the ground to water the earth. 
They cause the grain to grow, 
producing seed for the farmer 
and bread for the hungry. 
It is the same with my word. 
I send it out, and it always produces fruit. 
It will accomplish all I want it to, 
and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 
You will live in joy and peace. 
The mountains and hills will burst into song, 
and the trees of the field will clap their hands! 
Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. 
Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. 
These events will bring great honor to the LORD’s name; 
they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.” (NLT)

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My bride, Ollie the Border Collie, and I took a walk last night after supper. The weather was practically perfect. Recent rains and sunshine worked together to produce deep shades of green ornamented with Spring flowers. Families played together. Friends sat on benches and enjoyed conversations matching the pleasant nature of their surroundings.

Red oaks and live oaks, pin oaks and white oaks lined our pathway. Pecan and evergreens added to the splendor. Our neighborhood is filled with old and strong, well-tended, and carefully shaped trees. Their canopies shade yards and make homes appear even more welcoming and warm. 

This well-known passage from Isaiah reminds us how stately trees, in all their variety, are gifts from God. They remind us of Eden. They point us toward the renewal of all things. 

Here is what God says is coming: 

“You will live in joy and peace. 
The mountains and hills will burst into song, 
and the trees of the field will clap their hands! 
Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. 
Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. 
These events will bring great honor to the LORD’s name; 
they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”

Nature’s beauty is “an everlasting sign of God’s power and love.” Aging oaks standing strong and straight point us toward heaven. Gnarled and twisted trunks tell us stories of long-ago struggles overcome. Leaves turned toward the sun delight in soaking up all of God’s transforming goodness. 

We never walk alone. Where we are headed is more beautiful still than the prettiest of parks. Sun and shadow create playful patterns now. The Light of the World will one day illumine the paths with a richness we cannot now bear. Even an evening as lovely as last night is merely a rehearsal for the perfection of beauty to come. 

Ollie, my bride, and I will continue enjoying the warm-up laps before us as we prepare for the walk of life to come. 

Join us?

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I will walk with God, enjoy his beauty in nature, and anticipate so much more to come.

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Our Father, fill my thoughts with yours. Shape my thinking. Teach me to observe and enjoy your endless goodness. Thank you for the simple pleasure of celebrating your gifts in nature and neighborhoods. Amen.