A God of Order
March 13, 2025
Recently, my husband and I vacationed on the Gulf coast of Texas enjoying the warmer weather and the beaches. I like to walk slowly along the beach and stop frequently to look at the surf and let the water wash over my toes. Like everyone else, I look for seashells. It is a reflective time when I don’t have to hurry. A time to unwind and to marvel at the beauty of the sky, water, and sand.
This trip I was very conscious of the order in nature. The waves’ rhythm. The uniform spacing of the stripes and bumps on the seashells. The perfect symmetry of a sand dollar’s markings. The influence of the tide in its daily cycle. It reinforced my understanding that God is a God of order.
It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth,
my right hand that spread out the heavens above.
When I call out the stars,
they all appear in order.” (Isaiah 48:13 NLT)
Do you not fear and reverence Me? says the Lord. Do you not tremble before Me? I placed the sand for the boundary of the sea, a perpetual barrier beyond which it cannot pass and by an everlasting ordinance beyond which it cannot go? And though the waves of the sea toss and shake themselves, yet they cannot prevail [against the feeble grains of sand which God has ordained by nature to be sufficient for His purpose]; though [the billows] roar, yet they cannot pass over that [barrier]. [Is not such a God to be reverently feared and worshiped?] (Jeremiah 5:22 AMPC)
It is comforting to me to know that even when things are chaotic around me, God’s creation operates in order. God’s creation is not moved by what is trending on social media or sensationalized on the news. God and the nature He created are steady and predictable. We know this because we see it all around us. Every time I see a beautiful sunrise or sunset as I am driving to and from my job and activities, I thank God out loud. This instantly calms me. When I saw the sea waves and the ripples in the sand, I was again calmed. It is the goodness of God who makes such beauty.
I am reminded of my mother’s most common admonition to her growing and rambunctious children. When she had had enough of our fussing, she would raise her voice loud enough to be clearly heard and say, “GO OUTSIDE!” It is good advice now when I am feeling stressed, to turn off my laptop and smartphone and go outside. Nature isn’t manmade. It is a creation of a good and orderly God. My husband and I want to help teach our grandchildren to love and seek nature. That is the place where they, like us, will also go to love and seek God.
Prayer: Lord, You created the heavens and the earth for mankind to enjoy, prosper in, and appreciate. Daily, let Your creation be a calming reminder of Your unending love for us. Amen.