God’s Fingerprints on National Parks
O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:24
Imagine what it must have been like for Adam in Eden. There was so much to take in with wide-eyed wonder, from the cobalt blue sky above to the vast variety of trees and plants, along with all the animals God paraded before him so he could assign them names.
Tragically, sin destroyed the perfection of Eden, just as it ruined the harmony between humankind and their Maker. Thorns and weeds take over gardens and fields. Countless species of animals which once roamed the earth have become extinct.
Yet God’s fingerprints are still evident in the natural world around us and preserved for our enjoyment in our national parks. Great Smoky Mountains National Park lies just outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It is considered the most biologically diverse park in the entire country. Elk, black bears, synchronous fireflies, and old-growth forests shrouded in wispy banks of morning fog are just some of the sights which greet visitors. Streams and waterfalls, mild temperatures, high humidity, and abundant rainfall provide a glimpse of how Eden must have appeared in its pristine state.
We may look forward to visiting the Smokies one day, but we have a destination to plan for with far greater anticipation. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus promised, “In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). We can’t even begin to imagine the wonders we’ll see and the experiences we’ll have. But the greatest is that we will see the Savior together with all believers and praise Him for eternity.
If God hath made this world so fair,
Where sin and death abound;
How beautiful beyond compare,
Will Paradise be found!
Hymn by James Montgomery