Gifts From God: Devotions From Time of GraceSample

God’s Gifts in Our World We all know what stress and disappointments do to us. They make us look down, and they make us look inward. But down on the ground is just dirt, and inside of us are usually just more bad feelings. God has showered us with creation gifts all around us. In good times, but especially in bad, what a treat it is to look around us to be encouraged and lifted up. When man-made things turn bad, pause and consider the things that God has made. Seasons All of us overreach sometimes. All of us struggle to control the uncontrollable. We try to control other people, control the weather, control growth, control time, and stop the aging process. When those efforts fail (as they always do), we get frustrated. We feel small, weak, and insignificant. But, you know, feeling small is not such a bad thing. Consider the relentless changing of seasons. Without your lifting a finger, the physical climate all around you is in a steady pattern of regular change. If you don’t like the weather today, just wait a little. It will be different soon. That restless cycle of sun, wind, falling leaves, ice, mud, and buds is designed, set in motion, and sustained by the gentle, omnipotent hands of God. He likes a change of scenery, and he thinks you will too. God told Noah, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease” (Genesis 8:22). The annual cycle of our seasons is a silent reminder of God’s infinite power, his creative genius, and his faithful promises. What a comfort it is to enjoy being very small and watching the world whirl around us.