Music & the Spoken Word: Observing God’s hand in His handiwork – Church News

Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Lloyd Newell each Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. This will be given Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023. Members of the Morehouse College and Spelman College glee clubs will perform with the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra during this week’s “Music & the Spoken Word.”

We live in a wonderful world! All around us we see stirring evidence that “there is a God” (Alma 30:44) — from the most majestic, sweeping landscapes to the tiniest detail of the smallest flower. We rejoice with the psalmist who declared, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament [shows] his handywork” (Psalm 19:1).

We can learn a lot about a creator by studying his handiwork. So, you might ask, what do we learn about God from this wonderful world He created?

For starters, it’s obvious that He loves variety. And amazingly, His diverse creations complement one another in the harmonious ecosystems of the earth.

We see the same truth in His crowning creation: His children. He has created us in His image, and yet each of us has unique personality traits, gifts and talents. He knows our names. He cherishes our souls. And when we pray, He hears our one-of-a-kind voices and responds to our personal needs.

This balance of variety and harmony may be one reason we are inspired by the music we have heard today. We appreciate the unity of these musicians even as we recognize their individuality. Each voice is different, and each one makes a difference. Everyone is needed.

Nature also teaches us that God delights in change and growth. For example, even as we enjoy these stunning leaves of red, yellow, amber and gold, we know that winter is around the corner. The air has already turned cold, and bare branches will soon be covered in snow. And winter, harsh though it may be, is the perfect preparation for new life — for the green of spring and the warmth of summer.  

Like these trees, we too are created to endure the winters of life. God prepares us to emerge from our trials renewed in His strength. And His work of creation continues.

Anciently, when God’s people wanted to remember His hand in an important moment in their lives, they would raise up a stone known as an “ebenezer,” a stone of help (see 1 Samuel 7:10-12).

Observing God’s hand in our lives might inspire us to raise our own ebenezer — a prayer, a song of praise, an act of service. Whatever we do to show our thanks, we remember that our Creator is the “fount of every blessing.” When we “tune [our] heart[s] to sing [His] grace,” we are assured that we may yet “safely … arrive at [our heavenly] home,” encircled in the arms of His “redeeming love” (see “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” “Hymns” (1948), no. 70).

Tuning in …

The “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast is available on KSL-TV, KSL News Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM (Ch. 143), tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill). The program is aired live on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time on these outlets. Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.