Straight from a Star-Struck Heart
by Lisa Elliott

I’m an outdoorsie kind of girl from way back. There is something about being in the out of doors, in the beauty of God’s creation, that awakens my soul. 

It was, in fact, at a summer camp when I had an encounter with the Living God I’ll never forget. That’s when He first invited me into a personal relationship with Him. Overwhelmed with the love of God, and being so profoundly stirred with such deep emotion, it physically brought me to my knees. Afterwards, I went and lay down in an open field and gazed into the night sky with a heart full of praise. I couldn’t help myself.

It was a tragic day when Solomon lost the wonder of it all. It happens. We grow accustomed to things around us to the degree that they become commonplace. We lose sight of the blessings that surround us each and every day. We stop listening for the heartbeat of God. We stop watching for all the ways He’s working around us. We can be so inundated with noise and demands that we don’t pause to step outside our front door to feel the sun on our faces. But, if we would simply stop long enough to look, listen, and breathe it all in, we would see His fingerprints are everywhere. 

Psalm 8 tells us, “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalms 8:1-9 NIV)

Then there is our sage prophet, Isaiah, who says, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding? Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing” (Isaiah 40:12-14, 26 NIV).

Of course, there is God’s own testimony spoken to Job out of the storm. His discourse goes on for four chapters in Job 38-41, describing His power, majesty, and glory displayed throughout the earth. 

Yes, I most definitely see evidence of God’s handiwork as I walk along a forest path, gazing into the starry night sky, or at the beach as the waters glisten and sparkle like diamonds beneath the sun, listening to the waves rolling in cadence to shore. But I also see Him in the miracle and uniqueness of my children, and now the birth and growth of my grandchildren. “Fearfully and wonderfully made,” as expressed in the awestruck words of the psalmist in Psalm 139. I feel His pleasure and can almost audibly hear Him rejoicing over me with singing (Zephaniah 3:17) as I use the gifts and abilities He’s given me. I sense His Holy Spirit’s power begging to be released as I share all that He’s done in my life, whether in my writing or from a speaking platform. I am filled with joy beyond measure as I spend time with Him in my kitchen. He walks with me and talks with me in the garden. I hear His voice in the stillness and am reminded He is God (Psalm 56:10). He speaks to me through the pages of His life-giving Word. His presence and peace were undeniable as I sat next to my son’s hospital bed the year he battled leukemia, and I experienced His comfort as He walked alongside me through the valley of the shadow of his death. He has restored my soul (Psalm 23). He has touched me deeply through the prayers, words, and kind gestures of people. His fingerprints are all over my heart. I see them especially as I look back and recall His faithfulness in my life.

Listen. Do you hear that? Take a look around. What do you see? Breathe in. Breathe out. Let Him fill your lungs. What do you smell? Go ahead. Touch it. No, really, touch it. Not just with your hands. Take it in with your heart. Let it seep into your soul. Then take a moment to praise the Lord your God for the wonder of it all.

“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).

* * *

Need a little extra encouragement? Discover more inspirational blogs by Lisa Elliott, Straight from the Heart.

About this Contributor:

Lisa Elliott is an inspirational speaker and award-winning author of The Ben Ripple, Dancing in the Rain, and A Ministry Survival Guide. She’s also a writer for Just Between Us Magazine, theStory, and Good Ground. She and her husband, David, have four children (three on earth, one in heaven) and serve the Lord together in Stratford, ON, Canada.