Lord of All Creation

Based on the time since my last post you may have thought I had fallen off the end of the earth. I haven't, but I recently visited very close to there. My husband and I have just returned from a 2 1/2 week trip to South Africa, which, according to my map, is almost directly on the opposite side of the globe from where I live. My husband spoke at three pastors' conferences there, and I was blessed with the opportunity to accompany him. (I did get to speak to one group of women.)
Two things stood out to me on this trip. The first is that God is an awesome Creator! We were able to go to two animals parks while we were there. As we learned more about some of the animals, it was amazing to see how skillfully and wondrously God created each animal to be perfectly suited for its environment and life. The eyes of the big cats are created to increase their night vision. Lions have a very short gestation period, and the cubs develop quite a bit more after birth because a lioness heavy in her pregnancy would not be a very able hunter. Cheetahs are streamlined and created for speed. (I was able to pet one, as you can see.) The antelope family members--we saw impala, springbok, waterbuck, and kudu--all have big ears to help them sense approaching predators. Their coloring not only helps them blend into their environment, but also helps reflect rather than absorb the heat. Truly God is an awesome Creator.

The last stop on our trip was Cape Town, one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. The city is surrounded by mountains and coastline, a vivid combination. We were blessed with good weather and were able to go up on Table Mountain, which rises over 3000 feet above the city and the bay. The views from there were astounding, and an opportunity to again praise the Lord for the beauty of His creation. The next day we were able to drive around the mountain, along the beautiful coastline of Clifton Bay, Camps Bay, and Hout Bay, and then over the hill through a forest area where you'd never know you were anywhere near the ocean, even though it was only a few miles away.

The second thing that stood out to me was the reality that God is the Lord of all peoples and nations. We met many other believers on this trip, with widely varied life experiences, from diverse cultures and ethnic heritages, and speaking different languages, yet we shared a common bond in the Lord. What an encouragement to see people on the other side of the world worshipping the same awesome Creator, committed to the same Word of God, and growing in their own relationship with Jesus Christ, just as we do thousands of miles away. Truly He is Lord of All Creation, worthy of the worship and praise of every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues.