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  Autumn’s Scenic Splendor (September 22, 2023)

“To everything there is a season…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Each of the four seasons is unique in its natural beauty and displays God’s creative genius and masterful artistry. Clothed in scenic splendor, autumn, which officially arrives tomorrow (September 23), is perhaps my personal favorite of this quartet of seasons. This fall, the LORD willing, will be the 72nd autumnal equinox, the astronomical event that marks the start of autumn, which God has graciously allowed me to delightfully experience. After a summer of record heat, the welcome chill associated with fall is already beginning to fill the air with renewed freshness, and in a few fleeting weeks, the dazzling foliage will reach its long-awaited peak of magnificent coloration. Autumn speaks of God’s matchless glory, so let’s fully appreciate the picturesque wonders of the season that sing praises to the sovereign Creator Who skillfully crafted fall’s magnificent scenery for all of us to enjoy.

“Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord.” (Psalm 96:11-12)

Marveling at the breathtaking vistas, photogenic landscapes, and serene countrysides—from the majestic mountains to the verdant valleys—my soul joins all of creation in proclaiming our sovereign LORD’s perfect excellence! Nature declares that we have been richly blessed by an awe-inspiring God whose character is even more beautiful than all of His brilliant works. Our finite human minds cannot even begin to comprehend the depths of His abiding grace and boundless love for us as reflected not only in His majestic creations but by His tender mercies. God’s undeniable existence and His unimaginable greatness are revealed by the natural wonders that we are again about to behold! This autumn and in every season to come, let’s honor and glorify our praiseworthy God for both the bounty of His loving heart and the mastery of His creative hands!

“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?” (Job 12:7-10)



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