“The earth laughs in flowers”, a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, expresses an aspect of the glorious world we live in. When I imagine the earth laughing, I can see the flowers breaking forth in bloom, bringing joy and beauty to all! On the other hand, this quote gives us a glimpse of what happens when we laugh: we bring “flowers” and beauty to the world around us, creating an atmosphere of joy.  It also reminds me of so many Scriptures that personify creation:

“Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord.” Psalms 96:12

“For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth  into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12

When some people were complaining about people praising Jesus, “He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” Luke 19:40

I love to think of fields being joyful, trees rejoicing and clapping their hands, mountains and hills singing and the stones bursting into cheers, crying out in praise to God! When we spend time in nature we can often sense God’s presence and feel closer to Him. And He frequently uses nature to teach us about His character. There have been so many times that He has spoken truth to my heart as I have hiked in the mountains, felt the ocean waves lapping at my feet, or simply worked in the garden. As people living in this natural world, we comprehend truth best when it’s compared to something we understand in nature. Jesus often spoke in parables, comparing the kingdom of God to farmers sowing seed, laborers in the vineyard, the coming harvest, and many other aspects of nature. When we pay attention to creation and the world around us, I believe that we will hear God’s voice speaking to our hearts!

To create this painting, I first painted the flowers and leaves separately with watercolor, and then layered them digitally to design the composition. I chose to circle the main flower’s center with the words of Emerson’s quote, bringing another bit of whimsy and fun to the bright colors and swirls.

How have  you heard God’s voice through nature?