3 Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory. Psalm 97:3-6

When a natural disaster strikes (or what insurance underwriters and attorneys call “an Act of God”) most people realize that there is something or someone greater than us out there. It is at those moments that we realize we are not in control of anything.

A few months ago, I rewatched footage of the tsunami that smashed into Thailand (2004) and another in Japan (2011). As the waves came in, boats, cars, homes, and buildings were swept away. Many lost their lives because they didn’t think the force of the waves was so strong. After the waves began demolishing communities did they take it seriously, and often it was too late.

In these verses we see something similar taking place. God displays His power through nature. We normally don’t pay attention to God’s creation until disaster comes our way.

But God is completely in control of nature.

We do see God’s glory through His creation, but creation is merely a background in a play.

People, and how He changes their lives, are the true actors and where we see the miraculous unfold. For it is in people that He entrusts with His Holy Spirit when they reach out in faith to Him. It is through people that His glory shines through.