Get Outside
Here’s a disturbing reality: we spend most of our lives indoors. We were meant for more than a plastic world with artificial light and re-breathed air. God can be found anywhere. But something special happens when we encounter God outside. Nature has the power to calm and quiet us. There is something restorative about an encounter with God under a canopy of stars or by the crashing waves of an ocean. He seems easily accessible from the mountain vista or in the still, dark forest. Get outside. It will help you get your life back!
1. The studies are alarming: we spend 93% of our lives indoors. Why do you think that percentage is so high? Are there consequences we should consider?
2. We’re told that “the whole earth” is full of God’s glory. Look closely at the context of this idea in Isaiah 6:3. What is God’s glory and how is the earth filled with it?
3. Think about the pace of life for Jesus when he “walked” the earth 2000 years ago. What advantages or purposes might he have had in coming at that point in human history?
4. Why are people reluctant to appreciate the power of nature to nurture the human soul? How does getting outside help you restore your inside? How is the imagery of Psalm 23:1-3 life-giving even to the weary Christ-follower?
5. What do you most appreciate about being outside? What are your habits or practices that help you regularly experience the joy of the outdoors?
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