Music in the Trees

I am sitting on my patio sipping hot coffee and watching the rain. Brave birds perched on high branches are singing in the rain!!! Pink and red roses dot my bushes while yellow Kalanchoes feed on water falling from the sky. Various shades of green ornament bushes, grasses, and trees. Lined against our back fence are tall Juniper evergreens pointing skyward.

I look up. Even though the sky is gray and lightning flashes across the sky, I feel safe under the roof of my patio while sipping my hot coffee.

An old hymn came to mind. “For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies…” I wasn’t sure if I remembered the words. So, I ran inside and grabbed a hymnal, and joined the backyard chorus

Birds, the pitter-patter of rain and trees pointing upward all joined in singing the mighty power of God!!!

By this time, I was on a roll. Why stop at one?!! I flipped through the pages and found a song by Isaac Watts.

By the time he was born, the Reformation was a little over one hundred years old and hearts had already grown cold. Yet, to sing anything other than the Scriptures was scandalous. Today many know him as a hymn-writer, but he was first and foremost a pastor. Seeing the hard hearts of his congregation moved him to sit down and carefully exposit the Psalms using poetry, imagery, and metaphors. His concern was to move the hearts of God’s people with a culture of worship that would shape the spirituality of the congregation using beauty as the servant of truth! His goal was to present the gospel in a fresh and compelling way, revealing both the depth of truth and the breadth of content!!

So, how about a song today? If you don’t know the song, read the words out loud. Go ahead and be dramatic. Nobody’s looking. Ha!! For those who want to sing along, I’ve included a link below.

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

“I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained, the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines forth at His command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the LORD, that filled the earth with food;
He formed the creatures with His Word, and then pronounced them good.
LORD, how Thy wonders are displayed, wher-e’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known;
And clouds arise and tempest blow by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care,
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there.”

On a rainy day like today it is good to remember who waters the earth and fills it with food. Who displays His wonder in little creatures, flowers, plants and trees. This Mighty God also holds us in His hands!!!

Yes, there is music in the trees and if you listen closely, it is all around!!