Discover Your Soul's Path to GodSample

There are nine spiritual temperaments that we will focus on during the course of this study. You will find yourself in one or more of these, and your understanding of the expressions of worship by other Christians will be deepened as you explore each one. 

The first temperament is the naturalist who looks at creation as God’s cathedral and best connects with God outdoors. The naturalist uses creation to understand God the Creator and his ways with men and women, seeking to leave the formal architecture and the padded pews to enter an entirely new “cathedral,” a place that God himself has built: the outdoors. Naturalists have found that getting outside can flood parched hearts and soften the hardest soul.

Many of the Bible's illustrations and allusions are based on nature, and it is only in the context of nature that they regain their meaning and force. Jesus often taught in the countryside, and he may well have been pointing to images as he taught. When we lock ourselves inside, we leave part of God’s creation, and therefore part of our understanding, outside. Artificial comfort comes to us at a cost. Naturalists often learn their best lessons in the outdoors, for example, they visualize scriptural truths, see God more clearly, and learn to rest.

Standing in God’s cathedral, we learn that God’s beauty isn’t limited. You may be humbled by your own limitations, but be encouraged by God’s great possibilities! The existence, wonder, and worthiness of God are broadcast daily for all to see, if we will simply step outside and open our minds and hearts to the truth (see Psalm 19:1–4 and Romans 1:20). More than just the beauty of God is revealed outside, however. Let it also remind us of God’s power and judgment. Finally, let nature bring us closer to God’s peace by learning to rest in him. There is something about being outside that nourishes and renews your soul. 

In our modern age, when we live primarily in an antiseptic environment coated with paint, riding around in a metal contraption called a car, our ability to appreciate and meet God in creation is stunted, to say the least. We can create a space of time, quiet, and isolation where we can focus on believing in and appreciating the Creator. We will see miracles all through nature. As we learn to perceive God through the greatness, variety, and beauty of creation, we see that we serve a God of plenty whose mercy and love are inexhaustible. Creation becomes a holy place that invites us to prayer; where we lay down our agendas and let God lead our minds wherever he chooses. God can plant a new direction in your life as you take the time to receive from his heart. When you enter God’s creation, come to receive. Leave your worries at home. 

Respond

What experiences in creation have taught you about God? 

How can you create a space of time, quiet, and isolation with God in nature?

What agendas do you need to lay down as you listen for the purpose God wants to offer you? How can time in nature facilitate your ability to listen to God?