I remember the first time I heard the term “screen time.” My boys were little and a wise friend encouraged me to set specific limits on how many minutes they were spending in front of screens each day. Back then, it was mostly TV shows and computer games since smart phones, tablets, and social media hadn’t been invented yet.
Since those days, the amount of time people spend on screens has increased exponentially. As much as I want to limit them in my life, it’s not unusual to find me glued to my computer, phone, or tablet as I’m writing, posting, texting, scrolling, reading, researching, listening, or watching. Much of the content I focus on builds my faith and equips me to lead and serve. There’s an endless trove of resources online to learn about God and to grow spiritually, but it’s impossible for me to keep up. I could spend every day scanning new blog posts, video teachings, podcasts, articles, and book reviews and still have more to discover. And even though I’m usually learning about biblical topics from godly people, I find myself feeling on overload at times.
Trying to process the content I’m encountering overwhelms me when I try to ingest too much at once. When that happens, I know it’s time to power down and head outside where I can simply be with God. Nature opens a window to understanding God’s character by noticing all that He’s created. In fact, Scripture tells us we don’t need books or screens to learn about the Lord:
“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:7, ESV)
I took a hike in the foothills recently with my husband and purposely left my phone on the kitchen counter. Needing a respite from the constant inputs of technology, it was a relief to be reminded of God’s goodness and to feel His presence in creation. As we plodded along a familiar trail, the array of sights, sounds, and smells reminded me of the Lord’s tremendous creativity. No matter how many times we hike the same path, there’s always something new and different to see because He’s constantly at work.
Enjoying a panoramic view at the top of a steep incline spoke of God’s grandeur and vastness. I was reminded that “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17, NIV)
Crouching beside the trail to study the intricacy of a white flower with delicate red accents revealed His attentiveness to detail. As we continued, the colors, shapes, and sizes in the array of flowers along the trail captivated me. (Although I hadn’t brought my phone, my husband had, enabling me to capture photos throughout our hike.)
As we walked along the trail, flowers in brilliant red, deep violet, golden yellow, and soft orange told me that the Lord values beauty and variety. I especially loved finding orange poppies that are unique to our state and yellow globe daffodils that are indigenous to the mountain near our house. They showed me each creation God makes is distinctive in some way.
Author and pastor David Paul Tripp sums it up saying: “The radical truth of the existence of God isn’t just preached to us on Sunday; it’s preached every day through the beauty of the sunset, the power of the storm, the inexhaustible wings of the hummingbird, the hugeness of the mountain, the whisper of the breeze, the smell of the sizzling steak, the beauty of the petal of a rose, and so on. The power and clarity of creation’s message leaves no human being with an excuse. You have to work to deny God’s existence because it is so readily visible everywhere you look.”*
Tripp’s comments refer to this passage from Romans: “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:20, NLT)
How about heading outside this week to see what you can discover about God’s character by observing His creation? Click here and let Ellie Holcomb’s song “I Don’t Want to Miss It” inspire you to continue this practice throughout the summer.
*Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional, Crossway Books, 2014, May 12 entry.