It's good to think more deeply about the mercies of God in times of crisis. To help guide us in this effort, we'll consider Paul David Tripp's collection of meditations from Psalm 27 called "A Shelter in the Time of Storm." You can get your own copy on Amazon here.

...to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.

Psalm 27:4

This meditation contains another poem about beauty, where Tripp lists many things we'd instantly recognize as beautiful: the spotted leopard, a multi-colored sky, a bird's song, and many more. 

As beautiful as are all of these things, their beauty is reflective of a beauty that is not their own. Tripp calls these "sign glories" because they were "designed to be signs that would point to the ultimate beauty that can be found only in the One who created them." 

As life slows down for many of us, it presents a great opportunity to pay more attention to these signs. "...require yourself to look beyond the signs to the stunning beauty of the God to whom each sign points." If we look for satisfaction in the things themselves (or if we enjoy them only as a means to enjoyment) they will not satisfy. But if we enjoy them because they are good gifts from our maker, and if we appreciate their beauty as reflective of his, we glorify God in all things.

In his book "The Things of Earth," Joe Rigney helpfully teaches how this doesn't mean we have to stop and have the conscious thought, or even utter words of thanksgiving, every time we appreciate or enjoy God's good gifts.

An analogy may be to how we "pray without ceasing." This doesn't mean we're in conscious prayer 24/7 but that our communication with God in praise, gratitude, and petition is ongoing throughout the day. Likewise, as we enjoy "stuff" and appreciate beauty we need not always make the direct connection to God's goodness and beauty when those things are a a part of the daily rhythm of our lives. 

Questions to Consider

The questions are Tripp's. I included my answers in case they're helpful to read.

1. For further study, go to John 6 and the miracle of the feeding of the crowd of five thousand. What was the purpose of the miracle? What happened after? What mistake were the people making?

- The purpose was to draw out a visible demonstration of the ease with which we rejoice in the gift without reflecting on the giver. The disciples worried about food and Jesus provided it. From this they should have learned to trust Jesus for all their needs, yet immediately following this episode they go out on the sea and are so frightened by a storm they don't even recognize Jesus coming to their aid when he appears. 

2. What "sign" do you have a tendency to look to for your identity, meaning, and purpose rather than the Lord, to whom that thing points? 

- "Delighting in the Trinity" and "The Things of Earth" were really helpful to me in learning to (largely) overcome this particular temptation to sin.

Pastoral point about discussion questions: They are (have to be) written for a general audience, which means that not every question will apply to you equally. While it probably makes you feel bad to answer "this isn't something I really struggle with," when asked about a particular sin or temptation, some times that's the right answer. The Holy Spirit is at work in all of us and he's making good progress.