Today when we left church we were treated to an unusual sight: snow frozen in a mid-melt slide off the roof, fringed with icicles. I’ve tried to make cake frosting look exactly like that and know how difficult it is to make it stay. This mid-plummet freeze was truly beautiful.
Later, I watched a short online video of something else that’s been frozen mid-tumble: the mighty Niagara Falls. Due to unprecedented sub-zero temps, the crashing water at the bottom has morphed into massive marshmallow-like sculptures of ice like never before.
Our Creator keeps the whole world running, and most often he does it by way of his own natural laws. When it gets cold, water freezes. When the air warms, it melts. And sometimes I wonder if he looks at the dramatic effects of his seasonal extremes (like the frozen Niagara) and admires his handiwork.
Surely it brings him joy when we admire it.
But we shouldn’t stop there. Looking at a frozen waterfall ought to prompt our admiration of not just what’s been created but of the One who created it. As we see photos of the falls, we ought to quickly breathe praise to God: “You’ve made a spectacular world, Lord! You are awesome!”
Without doubt this would please him.
Psalm 104 is a detailed description of God’s daily involvement in our physical world. The writer admires the way things grow, the behavior of wild animals, weather patterns, movements of the sun and moon, and God’s relationship to all of it.
Toward the end, after giving much thought to what’s been made, the psalmist writes, “May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.” (v. 34) He implies that thinking about what’s been created not only pleases God but wells up in his own heart as rejoicing.
And if we’re wondering what the Creator thinks about all this meditating and rejoicing over his world, the author writes, “May the Lord rejoice in his works.” (v. 31) So apparently He’s rejoicing, which means we should, too.
This afternoon I enjoyed my virtual trip to Niagara Falls. Some people, though, want to do more than that. This month a professional ice climber named Will Gadd decided to be the first-ever to climb the ice-falls, and he carefully picked his way from bottom to top. I heard him marvel over the astounding beauty of his experience. He labeled it, “one of the highlights of my life.” Surely this brought a smile to the Creator.
As for me, I’m content just to praise the One whose natural laws formed the frosty frosting sliding over the edge of our church roof.
“How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all.” (Psalm 104:24)
