"In Every Walk with Nature, One Receives Far More Than He Seeks"
A Camping Devotional (John Muir series)
"In Every Walk with Nature, One Receives Far More Than He Seeks"
John Muir was born in Scotland in 1838 and immigrated to America as a child. His early life was harsh – his father was abusive and rigid. But as a young man, Muir discovered something that saved his life: wilderness. He would escape into nature whenever possible, exploring forests and mountains, studying plants and geology. What began as escape became obsession, then vocation. He realized that nature wasn't just a place to visit – it was a teacher, a healer, a source of spiritual truth.
This quote captures something Muir learned through experience: when you go into nature expecting one thing, you often receive something far more valuable.
You might come camping expecting relaxation, and you might get that. But you might also get clarity about a decision you've been struggling with. You might expect exercise and fresh air, and instead receive a moment of profound peace. You might hope for time with friends, and instead experience a spiritual awakening. Nature gives more generously than we ask.
This shouldn't surprise us. After all, nature is God's design. And God's character is generosity.
Ephesians 3:20 says: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
God operates on a principle of abundance. He gives more than we expect, more than we ask for, more than we deserve. When you open yourself to receive from Him – whether through nature, through Scripture, through prayer – you often discover He's been preparing something far greater than what you were seeking.
Matthew 6:31-33 says: "So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Seek first. Ask for one thing – God's kingdom, His righteousness – and He gives you far more. The security you were seeking through money, the peace you were seeking through control, the joy you were seeking through success – these come naturally when you seek God first.
Muir discovered this in nature. When he went to the mountains seeking truth, he found God. When he went seeking solitude, he found community with creation. When he went seeking escape, he found purpose. He received far more than he sought because he was seeking in the right place.
Psalm 27:4 says: "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."
This is the posture that opens us to receive abundantly from God: seeking Him, dwelling in His presence, gazing on His beauty. When that's your primary seek, everything else multiplies around it.
Tomorrow's Practice: Tomorrow, go on a walk or hike or outdoor activity with one intention: to seek God's presence and beauty. Don't go seeking relaxation or exercise or answers to specific problems. Just go seeking Him. Then notice what else you receive – peace, clarity, joy, perspective, connection. Write down what you received that you weren't specifically seeking.
Reflection Question: What have you been seeking in your spiritual life, and how might God want to give you far more than what you're asking for if you would seek Him first?