Life Can Be Chaotic

Life can feel chaotic. It often is.

Our fears and anxieties can easily multiply. There are those who feed our fears.

Life can be fraught with danger. Sometimes we have to take the risk.

But some days, we can look out on the world with awe and wonder at its beauty, the intricate details of how nature tends to balance itself, until human hands and human greed get involved.

The late George Beverly Shea sang:

“There’s the wonder of sunset at evening

The wonder of sunrise I see…

There’s the wonder of springtime and harvest

The sky, the stars, the sun…”

And through all the “wonder” in the world, Bev Shea reminds us:

“The wonder of wonders that thrills my soul,

is the wonder that God loves me.”

Matthew Babcock penned these lyrics:

“All nature sings, and round me rings

The music of the spheres

This is my Father’s world

I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;

His hand the wonders wrought.”

If we stop in our busy, bustling world with all of its noise of vehicles, sirens, air traffic, blaring music, shouting voices, and more, we can hear nature sing. But, in our hyped up, busy, hurrying, scurrying lives, we often miss nature’s songs because we’re too anxious to turn on the noise of the world.

The Psalmist speaks:

“O Lord, how manifold are your works!

In wisdom you have made them all’

The earth is full of your creatures.” (Psalm 103:24)

When John received his vision—Revelation—that came from God to the risen Christ, to the angel, and on to him, he saw the wonder and splendor of nature multiplied. From the beauty of the Island of Patmos and the surrounding Aegean Sea, John was, in the Spirit, transported from the beauty of the earth—God’s creation—to the beauty of heaven—the dimension of time and space beyond human understanding; for God is eternal, not bound by time or space.

In the wondrous vision—Revelation—given to John on Patmos, he saw the door of heaven open, and his vision moved from earth and his beloved seven churches on the mainland, to the throne room of God.

He knew there was a throne, and one seated on the throne, but words failed him as he tried to paint for us a word picture of his vision. In some attempt to help us grasp what he saw, he described the one on the throne as being like jasper and carnelian. There was, in John’s vision—Revelation—an emerald rainbow over the throne, reminding us that the rainbow is a symbol of hope and a covenant with God—a covenant God made with all humanity. (See Genesis 9:13)

There were twenty-four elders seated around the throne in the Revelation given to John. We interpret this to be twelve elders representing the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve representing the apostles. This is a reminder to us that God’s work—God’s reign and rule in the world—involves God’s people. The Church of God is not called to be a political arm of any political party, or to be a social club where people gather to gossip and focus entirely on themselves, or a place where people sit in judgment over one another. The Church of God, the people of God, is called to do the work and will of God in the world. Once we lose sight of the church’s calling, the pews will empty, and the doors will close…wait! I digress.

From the throne came “flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder,” reminding John, and us, of the majesty of the one on the throne of heaven. Seven burning torches in front of the throne remind us of the Holy Spirit illuminates, or shows us, God the Father.

As if John has not seen enough “strange” sights through heaven’s open door, he then sees something really weird. Burning torches, emerald rainbows, lightning, thunder, twenty-four elders seating around the throne, we can imagine. They are tied into our world; for they are sights with which we are at least somewhat familiar.

But then…John saw, “Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,

“Holy, holy, holy,

The Lord God the Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come.” (Revelation 4:7-8)

The first living creature was like a lion, the wild beast.

The second living creature was like an ox, domesticated animals.

The third living creature had the face of a man, humanity.

The fourth living creature was like an eagle flying, the birds of the air.

And they all gave continuous praise to God.

“All nature sings and round me rings

the music of the spheres.”

These creatures—wild, domesticated, human, birds—continuously sing of the holiness and majesty of our Creator.

Their all seeing eyes remind us they see anyone and everyone who approaches the throne of God, so yes, God loves us and the all seeing eyes are continually looking for us to come to the throne, to come to God, and the Way has been provided through faith in the Son of God, even Jesus Christ our Lord.

Today…in the busyness of life…stop…for just a few moments, if no more, and look and listen to the four living creatures sing their praise through the sounds of the wild animals, the lowing of the cattle, the laughter of children, and/or the songs of the birds. If we listen close enough, and carefully enough, and if we stop to look at the beauty of the world around us, we too will hear the song they’re singing:

“Holy, holy, holy,

The Lord God Almighty,

Who was, and is and is to come.”

God has always been, and always will be, and yet in his Revelation of the throne room of God, John sees God is always looking for us…waiting, if you will…for us to come to him.