You’ve Got Mail

...it is undeniable that the Creator is continually using His creation to attain our attention.

Recently I made a post on social media with the same image as above along with the statement, “The Lord has mail for you today.” While that statement may not be exactly accurate in the way that we understand the mail system in our modern day, if we take it as a way of saying, “God wants to communicate with you today,” then the idea is as true as anything can possibly be. And while it is possible to fill a notebook with examples of how the Almighty attempts to have an audience with His creation, I’d like to zoom in and put the crosshairs on three specific examples.

First, consider the truth of Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God…” Whether the declaration is made through the beauty of a sunrise or sunset, the vast display of stars on a clear summer night, the wisp of a cool breeze blowing across sun parched skin, or any of the myriad other ways that this old world “speaks”, it is undeniable that the Creator is continually using His creation to attain our attention. Sometimes He will remind us that His presence is always with us. Other times He will reassure us that if He can create the Heavens and Earth out of nothing, He can handle the issues that seem larger than life to us. And even when we observe the destructive power of natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes, we are reminded that this world and all it contains are in the palm of his hand – Psalm 95:4! Pay attention to the world around you today, and you’ll realize that you’ve got mail!

Secondly, consider the fact that we have the constant testimony of scripture as God’s enduring hand-delivered message to the only aspect of creation that He made in His own image – human beings. The scriptures are directly from God to us – 2Timothy 3:16. The scriptures are settled and unchanging, making them reliable for us to look to in every situation life throws our way – Psalm 119:89. The scriptures offer us our only true option for navigating this life’s potholes and entering Heaven where streets are paved with gold and there’s no such thing as potholes! – John 6:68. Think of the lengths God went to in order for us to have the treasure that we call the Bible: It was written over a period of about 1,500 years by around 40 different people from 3 different continents. It is a story of redemption which, as a whole, points to the Redeemer – Jesus Christ. It is timeless, being filled with principles that can be applied to our everyday lives here and now. It has stood the tests of time, critics, and tyrants, and will stand forever! – Matthew 5:18. In this treasure of a book, you’ve got mail!

Finally, think about all the working pieces that come together every Sunday morning that enable the pastor of the church to stand before the people and proclaim a sermon that is more than a speech – it is a supernatural message from God Himself to each and every listening soul – 1Corinthians 1:21. For everyone that lives under the illusion that the preacher just gets up on Sunday and says stuff, let me offer you an inside look at all that goes into the preparation and delivery of a message. First, there is much reading and studying that takes place in the privacy of the pastor’s study that is never publicly seen – 2Timothy 2:15. Next, there is deep prayer and seeking the Lord that the minister takes part in to make sure He is being lead by God’s Spirit and not his own human intuition – Nehemiah 2:4. When all the preparation has taken place, there comes then a need for the minister to trust fully that God will use his words to accomplish a deep work in the hearts of his people – Romans 10:14. I could go on, but hopefully you see that the practice of preaching doesn’t “just happen”. There is much time and effort put into a sermon by any minister worth his salt. Knowing that, understand that every Sunday morning, you’ve got mail!

To close out, let me go back to the first reference of God speaking to us through His creation. Often for me, it has been in the aloneness of the woods on a deer stand or in the peace of a still lake on the deck of the boat that God brings to my remembrance something I read previously in His word or a key point that impacted me from the preacher’s sermon. For me and folks like-minded, it is in the tranquility of creation that the word of God and the messages from the man of God have the opportunity to come to the forefront of my thinking and impact me in a given moment of experiencing the splendor of God’s beautiful world. So keep checking the mail. Every sunrise, sunset, starry night, and subtle breeze are all hand crafted memos just for your interpretation. And keep them close in your memory so we can compare all the different messages we receive from the Lord whenever we bump into each other next – In The Great Outdoors!