Whether we look out the window, drive to and from work, or take a hike in the woods; we find trees in the midst of a glorious change. It is autumn; each tree dresses itself in colors all its own. Thus, on crisp, clear sunny days, the forest dazzles its visitors. Why is this so? It seems that as they drift towards the icy rest of winter each tree gives glory to the Lord above.

Many of us have reached the autumn of our lives. We can look in the mirror; we see we are growing old. We know our bodies fail bit by bit. And so we have a choice. We can leave this world gripped by dread, or we can open our hearts to God. We can each in our own way give glory and praise to our Creator. We can accept His promise of the resurrection to come.

Acts 17:24-31 (Today’s New International Version)

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”