God’s Big Front Porch Choir
Alright, I do declare, friend, you just plum wandered up here to this ol’ front porch like a welcome breeze that smells like rain and good news. Now, have a seat and let me be tellin you that if you’ve ever stepped outside early in the mornin’ and felt creation hummin’ plum louder than a June cicada, then, you already know a little somethin’ about Isaiah 55:12, which says, “For you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace.” That there verse feels like God Himself is wavin’ you out the door saying, “Come on now, look what I made for you.” And Psalm 19:1 backs it up by saying, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Creation is basically God’s big ol’ front‑porch choir, and it’s gonna be singin’ whether we’re listening to it or not.
Isaiah goes on to say the mountains and hills will break into singing and the trees will clap their hands. Now, friend, I’ve never seen a tree clap, but I’ve seen a pine tree that swayed so hard in the wind it looked like it was tryin’ real hard to get the choir director’s attention. And I’ve heard a creek babble so sweet it could’ve lulled a cranky lil’ ol’ raccoon into a nap. God wired plum peace into creation the same way He wired stripes onto an ol’ skunk and stubbornness into an ol’ onery mule. It’s just plum part of who He is.
Isaiah 55:10-11 reminds us that God’s Word works the same way rain works. It falls, it soaks, it nourishes, and it never returns empty. That there means every sunrise, every breeze, every bird that chirps like it’s auditionin’ for a woodland talent show is a reminder that God is still speakin’. Even after the fall in Genesis 3, when weeds showed up like uninvited cousins at a family reunion, God’s creativity didn’t quit. His peace still leaks right on through the cracks of an ol’ broken world.
So, friend, maybe this summer you need to step outside and let God’s creation preach a little ol’ wonderful sermon to your soul. Sit out in the sunshine. Listen to the wind blowin’. Watch a lil’ ol’ squirrel that’s plum convinced it owns your yard. Let the outdoors be remindin’ you that God is still leadin’ you with joy and peace, even when life feels real thorny.
Father, open my eyes to the beauty You’ve stitched into this world. Let creation quiet my worries and remind me that Your Word never returns empty. Lead me with Your peace and fill me with Your joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well, friend, that there’s enough porch thinkin’ for one ol’ day. As you git to goin’ about your chores today, be lettin’ your heart git settled like an ol plow horse that finally come in from the day’s work and found a shady patch of grass to be grazin’ on. Be lettin’ your joy rise up in you like a quenched meadow after a real good, soakin’ rain. And be knowin’ in your soul that even the smallest rustle of leaves is God whisperin’ and remindin’ you sayin’, “I’m right here with you, ready to be leadin’ you with peace.” You just gotta be rememberin’ that if we don’t praise Him, all of God’s creation: the rocks, and the trees, and the mountains, and the creatures are gonna be doin’ it with or without us anyway.
With joy,
Gwen
