This week’s pastor article was written by Rev. Dr. Rand Forder, a retired Baptist pastor who served churches in Maryland, Virginia, and Tennessee.  

Early one morning, as I was sitting on the porch and drinking a cup of coffee, I was awakened by a symphony being presented all around me.  

Birds were singing their songs. Melodies varied according to the different species. 

With child-like wonder, I remembered the poem, “Once I saw a Little Bird:” 

                    “Once I saw a little bird 

                     Go hop, hop, hop 

                     So I said, ‘Little bird, 

                     Will you stop, stop, stop?’ 

                     Then I was going to the window 

                     To say, ‘How do you do?’ 

                     But he shook his little tail, 

                     And away he flew!” 

During those moments, I also thought of Jesus’ teaching, perhaps when He heard a similar symphony: “Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6: 26, R.S.V.). 

As the singing of the birds continued, I heard, in the background, the whistling sound of the wind, as it swept through the trees and touched the branches and leaves. I turned again to Jesus’ words. He describes the mystery of the new birth to Nicodemus, who was a distinguished, religious leader. I imagine that Nicodemus had heard the whistling sound of the wind from time to time. Based on that occurrence, Jesus said, “The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound that it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3: 8, T.E.V.). 

 The rhythm of the soft tapping of rain drops falling on the bushes, plants, and sidewalk added to nature’s musical presentation. In the Book of Job,  

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in the Old Testament, one of Job’s friends, named Eliphaz, is conversing with Job. Eliphaz tries to comfort Job and in the process, some truth is stated, “If I were you, I would turn to God and present my case to him. We cannot understand the great things he does, and to his miracles there is no end. He sends rain on the land and he waters the fields.” (Job 5: 8-10, T.E.V.). 

As I listened to the wonder and mystery and miracle of that symphony, I forgot about my daily routine, my pressing duties, and my many worries. And without those distractions, I was still and focused on the “Composer” of all the music in that symphony- the Source of the wonder, mystery, and miracles; the Creator God.  

Dr. Chevis Horne once described the God Above, “God is above our world by virtue of His being creator. He stands above His world the way a craftsman stands above the thing he has made. When God finished His creation, standing on some vantage point beyond it, He looked down on His creation and saw that it was good. He felt satisfied with His work: ‘And God saw that it was good’ (Gen. 1: 25b). Again we read: ‘And God saw everything he had made, and behold it was very good’ (V. 31).” And “in spite of the brokenness, rebellion, and sin of His world, He cannot give it up.” * 

The God who is above and beyond us is the God of love. He has come to us in the person of Jesus Christ to reveal that truth. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him should not be lost, but should have eternal life” (John 3: 16, J.B. Phillips Translation).  

 The symphony began to conclude when I heard the sound of traffic, a distant train whistle, the roar of an airplane engine, and the noise of people talking. The symphony ended, but I continued to hear the music and to hum the melody throughout the day. For a few moments in that early morning, I was able to be still and know that the God of love is always at work for good in His creation. 

  *Chevis F. Horne, Preaching the Great Themes of the Bible, (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1986), pp. 53 and 74.