Hear Nature Cry Out to Him

Traveler, listen closely

to the weary cry of the grandfather trees,

as the wind carries their groaning

alongside wandering, dying leaves;

An outdrawn, longing sigh

loud enough to rouse a deaf world

from her deep and restless slumber,

from empty dreams and nothing more.

A sharp, piercing sting claws

the edge of your bare skin,

the hunger pangs of a lonely wood

like the haunting echo of a hollow tin.

Feel the brittle shavings, old and frail, 

as the remains of aging bark crumble in your hands;

centuries spent waiting, hoping, aching, yearning

as captains who scan the horizon for land.

Hear the deep, tender cry of the redwood giants,

whittled down by time’s menacing breath,

pining for the return of all that once was

and all that once mattered to those now awaiting death. 

—

In this poem, I intended to paint creation’s longing for her Creator. The trees. the stars, the mountains, the seas—they each yearn for the restoration of Shalom. Their existence depends solely upon the sovereignty and the love of God, purposed to worship Him and Him alone.

Why, when we stand before a mountain range, do we sense an aura of glory? The sublime peaks make us feel small in the most beautiful way, as if we must bow down before them in reverence. If the mountains were not created in the image of a perfect Authority, how may they possess that quality otherwise?

The sunflowers bend toward the sun, seeking life and all that is good. The birds sing and rejoice, and they worry not. The seas roar in praise and quiet in submission. Look all around you, and you will see the work of His hand in the wildflowers, in the sunsets, in the summer storms, and in each individual blade of grass:

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made,” says ‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:20‬.

I have personally noticed that walking in the park or simply taking time out of my day to enjoy nature sets my mind on the overwhelming glory of the Almighty. It is when I sit among the trees or beneath the stars or watch the sunset that I am most convinced of His goodness and His love—of how their beauty and magnificence cannot stand alone. Listen to the melodious cry of nature. It will become apparent just how vital it is for us to set our minds on the one who sustains us. “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). And listen closely.