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“You disclose Yourself to me in a variety of ways—words of Scripture just when I need them, helpful words spoken through other people, ‘coincidences’ orchestrated by Your Spirit, nature’s beauty, and so on.”

– Jesus Listens, September 22nd

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I’m a person who loves to be outside. In fact, as I type this, I’m sitting on our patio table listening to the cardinals and wrens sing and feeling the breeze on my arms. Many of the instances when I’ve felt closest to God have been on a hike in the woods. The awe I feel of the beauty and intricacy of nature helps me appreciate the creativity and wonder of our Creator. Here are four ways that you, too, can connect with our Lord through the outdoors.

1. Get in Close 

Just step out your back door or go to your nearest community park and sit down. What are you sitting on? Is it grass? Sand? Rocks? Take a magnifying glass (or better yet, a lighted handheld pocket microscope—every amateur naturalist needs one!) and really inspect the plants or geology that you can reach. How many different kinds of grass or rocks are right beside you? How different are they from each other? Next, closely inspect the trees, bushes, and flowers around you. Look at the tiny details and patterns of leaves, bark, seeds, and flowers. Wonder at God and His ability to create so many different kinds of flora and minerals.

2. Get Far Away 

Plan a trip to a local hiking trail or park with a view. Try to select a place you haven’t been before. When you’re at your new vantage point, be still and really take it all in. The sweeping view of any landscape—forests, lakes, deserts, canyons—can make us feel small. We can see so far, farther than we’re used to inside our homes and places of work, school, and worship. God made every speck of what we can see in this broad vista and everything beyond it as well. Admire the breadth of God’s creation here and thank Him for it all.

3. Get Wet 

Perhaps on the same trip, see if you can also find a waterfall to visit. Waterfalls are beautiful and mesmerizing. The water crashing down from the heights sometimes creates rainbows that add to their beauty, and if you’re able to get close enough you could get misted with the spray. They can be loud, sometimes loud enough to feel in your chest like the drums in a marching band. The human-altered vantages to view waterfalls are often busy places, but because of the water’s noise, you may be able to easily tune out the crowd. Let both this beauty and the noise settle your heart as you watch the water cascade down. As the crowd falls away from your mind, ask God to help you focus on Him, His goodness, and His grace. Experience how nature can help you better focus on our loving Lord. 

4. Get Still

In the previous three previous ways to connect with God outside, I recommended that you sit still for a while. This time, be even more intentional about that stillness. Find a quieter place on a trail or another outdoor space. Maybe even bring a camp chair or a mat to sit on. Intentionally be still for a few minutes, listening to what’s around you. How many birds can you hear? Do you hear water from a river or lake? What can you smell? Is the atmosphere different here than at your home? Ask God to meet you there and see what He has to say. You might read your Bible or go through a devotion and your prayer list. Is this a different experience than your normal quiet time at home? How does it feel to connect with God outside instead of indoors?

I hope these ideas inspire you to find new ways to connect with God in the great outdoors.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maureen E. Wise is the author of Strength for My Path, a hiking devotional. She has worked in the environmental/sustainability space her entire career and lives in a Cleveland suburb with her husband, middle grade son, and three cats. Wise can be found on a Cleveland Metroparks trail nearly every day.