This past Sunday we sang “This Is My Father’s World” at church. For some reason the words to the second verse really caught my attention. Here the writer says: “This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise; the morning light, the lily white declare their Maker’s praise. This is my Father’s world, He shines in all that’s fair; in the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me ev’ry-where.” I needed the reminder that God speaks to us everywhere and quite often through things we might not be aware of or things we take for granted. The birds I hear singing when I take my daily walks may very well be calling me to lift my own voice in praise to the Creator. The light that the sun casts upon the earth reminds me of the One who said in the beginning “Let there be light.” Even the flowers I see in my yard and the “rustling grass” point me to the God who made the heavens and the earth.
Maltbie Babcock, the writer of “This Is My Father’s World,” points out that everything God has made “declares their Maker’s praise.” I happen to believe that this is true. All of Creation, including us, is placed here to honor and adore God. Each aspect of Creation certainly has other roles to play but first and foremost they, and we, exist for the glory of God. In Romans 11:36 the apostle Paul says “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever!”
If the birds, the sun, the flowers and grass all declare God’s praise, how much more should you and I do the same! Those of us created in the image of God should strive to offer our Maker praise and to bear witness to God’s amazing love and grace. We, too, are part of God’s Creation and as such have a job to fulfill.
Maltbie Babcock spoke of hearing God speak everywhere. If Babcock were still alive today and knew you, could he say that God spoke to him through you? If not, how come? That, after all, is our very purpose in life. I hope when you hear the birds in your neighborhood, notice the light of the sun shining around you, see the flowers and even the grass in your yards, that you will remember to join in with the rest of Creation in offering God praise and strive to point others to the One to whom this world belongs.
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it…” Psalm 24:1
I’ve been singing hymns all my life; I love them! Not surprisingly, some of my favorite hymns speak of God’s role as Creator. Some of these include “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,”“Morning Has Broken,”“How Great Thou Art,”“For the Beauty of the Earth,” and “Fairest Lord Jesus.” This morning the chancel choir sang another one of my favorites, “This Is My Father’s World.”
Here are the first two verses of this beautiful hymn written by Maltbie Babcock: “This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears all nature sings and round me rings the music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world, I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees of skies and seas; His hands the wonders wrought. This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise, the morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise. This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair; in the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere.”
I love the message of this hymn. Like the Psalmist the hymnist reminds us that the earth is the Lords. We’re also reminded that all of Creation joins together in offering God praise. Furthermore, we are reminded that God does, indeed, speak to us in the world that He has made.
Being Father’s Day I can’t help but wonder how honored God the Father must feel today when it comes to the way we have cared for His Creation. As a child I was taught to respect the things that belonged to my Dad. I understood that these things were his, not mine. I also knew that if I used something that belonged to my father that I had better take very good care of it.
If we know to respect our earthly father’s belongings you would think that we would also know to respect our heavenly Father’s belongings. One way we can honor and show respect for God on Father’s Day, and the rest of the year, is by taking good care of that which belongs to Him—the earth.
