The Joy of Nature

Scripture — Isaiah 35:1-2; 55:12 (NRSV)

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus
it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.

For you shall go out in joy,
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Devotion

Some of my most stirring experiences of joy have come in natural settings. I have always loved nature, from my earliest years. I can still remember how I felt as a two-year-old boy sitting in our campsite in Yosemite Valley, gazing up at Yosemite Falls. That was probably my first experience of awe, and maybe even a youthful version of joy.

Today, I continue to experience both awe and joy through nature. I am especially inspired by the mountains of the High Sierra in California or the towering red cliffs of Zion National Park. I can also be inspired by the glorious colors of autumn leaves or the first flowers of spring.

The writers of Scripture also experienced a strong connection between nature and joy. Yet, in their imaginations, not only did human beings rejoice in response to nature, but also nature itself expressed joy. In Isaiah 35:1-2, for example, “the wilderness and the dry land shall be glad.” Even the desert “shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.”

Ah, yes, the crocus. There is another source of my joy! If you live in a part of the country with serious winters, then you may know the joy that comes with the blooming of the crocus. When I lived in Massachusetts for college and grad school, crocuses were the first flowers to bloom in spring. Their bright lavender flowers were a sign that winter was almost over. Thus, they inspired joy. Or, as Isaiah 35 puts it, the crocuses were the joyful songs of nature.

Isaiah 55 envisions a future in which the Lord will bless Israel. When this happens, Isaiah promises: “For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (Isa 55:1). In this instance, the people experience joy as well as the mountains, hills, and trees. Nature not only inspires joy but also rejoices over the salvation of God.

We are familiar with the joy of nature through the Christmas carol, “Joy to the World.” Inspired by Psalm 98, this carol celebrates the coming of the Lord. Not only should “ev’ry heart . . . prepare him room,” but also “heav’n and nature” should sing. In the second verse, because the Savior reigns, human beings sing their joyful songs. But that’s not all. Also, “fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy.”

This carol reminds us that the joy of nature is meant not only to delight us, but also to inspire our worship and praise. If we can imagine the beauty of the natural world offering praise to God, then we can also choose to join that joyful chorus.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: God: The Source of Life, Knowledge, and Wisdom (Isaiah 28ff.).