These sights and sounds that I experienced during a trip to Switzerland electrified my senses and prompted a deep stirring of my soul as I took in the wonder of God’s marvellous creations. They spoke powerfully to me as they revealed His character, inviting me to revel in Him.

But the experience also got me thinking. When we think about God’s “creation”, we often think about a rural landscape, like mountains and trees. Why not an urban landscape too? Whilst travelling around Singapore, I am often reminded of His wondrous works in the city.

God loves to make himself known to His creatures through creation. Romans 1:20 says: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

As I took in His wondrous creations, these are what I have discovered about the glory and splendour of our King.

The National Gallery, too, is testament to the creativity of man, with its marbled halls and imposing pillars housing thought-provoking works of calligraphy, paintings, and sculptures. A stroll along the Marina Bay area would yield modernistic structures like the Arts Science Museum, the impossibly-designed Marina Bay Sands, and the towering skyscrapers stretching into the distance.

All these have been made possible through the skills and talents that God, our great Creator, gave to architects, designers, and builders. No wonder the psalmist said in Psalm 104:24: “How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”

This realisation has taught me to see God’s hands in everything around me—not just in nature, but in man-made structures, too.

Imagine; there are 10,000 species of birds, by some estimates. And that’s just birds! Scientists have also estimated that there are more than 8 million species of plants and animals around the world.

The diversity and variety seen in creation demonstrate God’s creativity. Perhaps Job was alluding to this when he praised God, saying: “Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:7–10).

Realising this attribute of God’s has got me thinking: If the creative God can create so many varieties of plants and animals, won’t He also be equally creative in helping me cope with challenges and crises in my life? Surely, I can rely on the Lord who, with His powerful word alone, spoke life into 10,000 types of birds!

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them,” Jesus taught. “Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

Even in our most troubled times, we can take comfort in this truth: our Creator and heavenly Father meets all our needs and wants. In Matthew 10:29–31, Jesus makes it plain when He tells us: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

If God causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on all without discrimination, what more His blessings upon His children when we ask (Matthew 5:45, 7:9–11)?

Growing up in Singapore, I was blessed to have parents who opened my eyes to the beauty of the natural world around me. From fruit bats hanging off the papaya tree in my grandfather’s garden to weekly cycling trips to MacRitchie Reservoir, with its wide expanse of calm waters bordered by densely grown forests, I was given the beautiful gift of appreciating nature at a young age.

But as life’s responsibilities piled up and cares filled my mind, I realised that such awareness did not come as easily as I grew up. I often wonder: How can I continue to be attuned to God’s presence in the world around me?

I believe we need to be intentional in learning to be attentive. I have found that a simple prayer can help me notice how nature speaks of God’s attributes. Before I step out for a walk to exercise or to run an errand, for example, I ask God to remind me of His gracious provision and love in my life, and to open my eyes to His wonderful creation.

In my walks and in my quiet time, I try to spend some time reflecting on what it means to know that our God cares about me amid the breadth of His amazing, infinite creation. That often leads me to thank Him for caring about my deepest thoughts and worries, for He knows me intimately. Psalm 139:1–2 gives me a great sense of reassurance and security: “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.”

And when a shaft of light, a euphony of birds’ chirping, or a whiff of floral scent catches my attention, instead of rushing past the moment, I try to stop and take in the sight, sound, or smell, remembering that everything reveals something of our Creator (Psalm 19:2). Then I speak to God about what stirs and resonates within me.

Worshipping God in the beauty of His created things need not just happen through our meditations and spoken prayers.

When we see something beautiful, do we feel the urge to take a photo? Write poetry? Draw a quick sketch? However we feel like expressing ourselves, we can ask God to reveal more of himself to us. We can remind ourselves of His presence and respond to Him, inviting the Holy Spirit to guide our prayer and meet Him meaningfully in this time and space.

May we take time to slow down, enjoy and bask in His good works. And in doing so, let us join creation to