Celebrate God - Caroline Hales

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NIV

The tour bus pulled up to the curb to let passengers out at our destination—the Grand Canyon.

Our guide gave first-time visitors a suggestion: “When getting off the bus, cover your eyes and look at the ground. Walk along the path following the fence-line. Once you arrive at the end of the path, uncover your eyes and look.”

I followed the instructions. And the sight was unbelievable. My eyes welled up with tears. I have never seen anything like it before or since. The awesome view far exceeded the pictures.

How could God have created something so majestic? Towering spruce, looking the size of trees in a toy train set, lined the edges of the cliff below. Further away, the trees looked like specks of dust. The Colorado River at the bottom of the Canyon meandered like a ribbon.

The grandeur made me rejoice at the magnificence of God’s creation. My heart praised the Creator for a spectacular view of a small piece of the foundation of the world he created. I imagined the world God intended without brokenness and sin. Perhaps I beheld a glimpse of the perfect world yet to come. I could have stood there for hours gazing at the beauty, mesmerized by the splendor, and offering worship.

When I think of the Grand Canyon, I praise the God who can make such a marvel. And my mind considers even more than his creation. I think of David, who danced before him. And I think of Paul, who wrote to the Philippians, “Rejoice!”

Even on the bad days, I can feel the joy welling up inside for the gift of the Holy Spirit in me. I delight in the hope for a better future. And I celebrate having a Savior who died for me and rose again so I might dwell with him one day in a perfect new world.

What thoughts direct you to rejoice in God?

Tweetable: What are some ways you rejoice in God?

Caroline Hales is a Project Manager, a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, and a freelance writer. She has an adorable niece in California who teeters as she toddles. Caroline’s passion to share Christ with others has grown while she has served in church ministry, leading evangelism and women’s ministry. She lives in Ontario, Canada.

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