April 14, 2023
God’s Articulate Presence
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse (Romans 1:20 NIV).
Friend to Friend
I believe one of the greatest inventions of the twentieth century was the Post-It Note. First, there was yellow. Then came fuchsia, turquoise, buttercup, and magenta. From full-page mega notes to tiny little strips, sticky notes have saved me from embarrassment, kept me organized, and helped me memorize. Mostly, they have served as visual reminders of information, events, and appointments not to forget.
But visual reminders of things not to forget didn’t begin with Post-It Notes. They began with God, Himself. All through life God places Post-It Notes on our days to remind us of Him. Just today, I jotted down a few Post-It Notes God placed throughout my day.
- The sunrise with swirls of mist rising from the lake behind my home;
- A vibrant red male cardinal and his demure wife sharing the bird feeder;
- Boisterous Canadian geese flying in V-formation across the sky;
- Tulip bulbs peeping through the ground;
- Dogwood blossoms heralding Easter’s approach;
- The weeping willow praising God in the breeze;
- A monarch butterfly perched on the windowsill;
- Midday sunlight dancing on the water;
- A baby’s cry;
- A little girl’s giggle;
- Orange, magenta, and red streaks across the sky as the sun bid goodnight;
- A sliver of white in the inky sky with a smattering of twinkles all around;
- My husband’s hand reaching for me in the night.
Every one of these sightings was God’s reminder to me that He has infused my life with His presence. Through His creation, God longs for us to see and discover—observe and remember—His creative beauty, His enduring grace, His fathomless mercy, and His articulate presence.
A. W. Tozer once said, “He is by nature continuously articulate. He fills the world with His speaking voice.” I believe His voice is heard nowhere more clearly than through His creation.
In the Bible, Paul wrote to the Romans, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God (Romans 1:20 NLT).
Charles Spurgeon, a famous English preacher from the 1800s once said, “God seems to talk to me in every primrose and daisy and smile at me from every star, and whisper to me in every breath of morning air and call aloud to me in every storm.” That’s the way I want to live, looking for God’s fingerprints and listening to His gentle whisper throughout my day. I think you do, too.
If we do not hear from God today, if we do not see His fingerprints through creation, we are without excuse. His voice is speaking to us all day long with holy post-it notes, and it seems to me His voice is sweetest in spring.
Look for God’s fingerprints throughout your day, and then pause and thank Him for speaking to you.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord our Creator, I am in awe of Your creation today. Help me never to take You or Your handiwork for granted. I pray I will always be amazed at the sunrise and the sunset and all that falls in between. I love You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Today, look for God’s Post-It Notes in your day.
Consider getting a pad of Post-It Notes and jotting down visual reminders of God that grab your attention. Write your observations on the notes and post them around your home.
If you have children, consider giving them a pack of Post-It Notes and have them jot down things that remind them of God throughout their day. Before bedtime, share your Post-It Notes as a family.
At day's end, come back to this devotion, click on comment, and share what you saw today.
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© 2023 by Sharon Jaynes. All rights reserved.
Originally published Friday, 14 April 2023.
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