One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Psalm 24:1–The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

Can any statement be more simple and yet more powerful? King David sums it up in a nutshell. No room for debate—just the plain and simple and powerful truth! It all belongs to Him—and so do we.

I have always been a lover of nature—and the Creator of it all. Even as a little girl, I saw God’s presence in the vast, endless sky, the colorful flowers, and the mighty roar of Lake Michigan’s waves. In the fall I used to watch busy squirrels gathering acorns and hiding them away for the long, cold months ahead. I never wondered how the squirrels knew when it was time to prepare for winter. It was obvious to me—God told them! And the first snowflake of the season was almost as fun as Christmas morning. My childlike faith was once again affirmed—only God could make a snowflake.

As an adult, one of my favorite activities is going for a walk—all by myself. Whether I walk the neighborhood streets, or the sandy shores of the Atlantic (I now live in Florida), I see God all around me. The sky, the clouds, the birds, the trees, and even a wiggly worm on the sidewalk, all remind me that God made it and He owns it all. I love to talk to God as I take my stroll. I call it my “walk” with God. It’s so natural and easy to talk to Him when He feels close. One day when I was walking in my neighborhood, the sky was thick with white and gray swirling clouds. A tiny break in the clouds allowed a narrow sunbeam to touch the earth for just a moment. It was one of those divine moments when I felt like God was revealing His glory just to me. I was humbled and thought, Who am I Lord, that you would show yourself to me? God replied, You are mine. I love you.

This past Memorial weekend, we spent some time at a quiet beach with our grown children and my precious granddaughter. As I relaxed in the warm sunshine and felt the sand between my toes, I soaked in the pleasure of being surrounded by nature. I also had the joy of watching my grandbaby take in the sights and sounds and textures of God’s creation. As she sat in the sand, the Psalmist’s words came to my mind—The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

Here’s to seeing God in His world.

Crystal Bowman