God is amazing in His creativity. It is astounding to think that He created what He did to both bring glory to Himself and pleasure to His creatures. His intention of creating that which had our delight in mind is striking. It is that motive-transmission of God which drives creation with, among other gears, the one of "pleasing to the eye and good for food" (Genesis 2:9). He had our refreshment in mind when He made all that He made.

In the fall, he hosts a concert series every evening. For this reason I look forward to the fall. The orchestra is quite natural and spontaneous. God is the only conductor I have ever been able to discern. But as the afternoon wanes and evening falls, they take off. What is cool is that they are not all in unison. Everyone jumps in with her and his own specialty to add to the rich luster of sound. In fact, it is more like Jazz improvising than it is working with a tight well written score. But it is fabulous stuff. It is the one time where Judges 17:6 works...because God is a genius. Everyone is doing that which is right in his own eyes...and it is all good...and makes for incredible music.

I am speaking, of course, of the voices of insects which are joined together for an astounding mix of glory. We all know the classic rich tenor of the cricket. That full bellow-fellow does a lot of solos all the time. But in the fall, he joins other homies and they belt it out together. I cannot get my hands around how many God has put in this orchestra. I love to listen and to count the "instruments" in the fray. Some offer one tone...continually. Some have some vocal (or is it instrumental?) variety in pitch. By the way, how do they make those sounds? Some come in and out. The locusts cuts in every once in a while for a dramatic solo, then fades out. They mesh together so sweetly.

I love to go to sleep listening to them. But I must confess, I usually only get a few bars in before I am off to the land of nod-taken there on the backs of this army of musicians.

If you are not careful you will miss it. It is background music for life in the fall. We can get so busy we can neglect listening for it. Yesterday, after a long and hard and gratifying week, I had to take a day away from the office. I took a long walk and I listened. Were they not in the zone yesterday? Of course, that is how they always are! Andi and I have at times tried to figure out just how many are in the troupe. We try to identify and count the various sounds and imagine just how many are playing their part. We try very unsuccessfully to mimic the sound we are trying to point out. Clearly God gave them some ability we do not have. I can't make those sounds. Some low. Some high. Some constant. Some intermittent. All together.

To listen to this fall series in enlivening. They sing a lot of the year and fall silent in winter, or is it play? But I just notice them as fall comes in ways that I do not at other times. And when I listen to them, I think of Adam's race. We too were created with purpose and for a reason. We were made to relate to the living God through Jesus Christ. I love the C. S. Lewis' analogy of our created purpose. We were made to "run" on God as a gasoline engine was made to run on gasoline. We were brought into existence from the very beginning to respond to God and glorify and enjoy him. This is man's primary purpose. Sin has botched it all up, but that was it from the beginning.

Those insects have many purposes ordained by God but one that they do very well is to host these fall concerts. (And they are free!) Yet, even as I listen to them do what they do...do what they were created to do, I think of us. They do it all so well. They are fulfilling their created purpose. As God surveys this broken world waiting to be redeemed, across the landscape he must be encouraged to observe in the insect world perfect fidelity to His intent. They were born to make sweet music and no doubt for other purposes that an "insect-ologist" (What are they called?) could tell us about. They joyfully, or so it sounds, fulfill what God demands from them.

If an insect is fulfilling her God ordained purpose and bringing God pleasure, what about us? What music in life has God created us to make? What related to others and relatedness to Him brings sweet music to His ears? Those insects doing their "job" and fulfilling their created purpose lead me to want to do mine. God made me and God made you to relate to Him. The wonder of His saving grace is that His work in us (as we give ourselves to the very reasons why He brought us into existence) makes for beautiful music that can likewise enliven others who care to listen. What kind of sounds are coming from my life? How about yours?

God is amazing. "For every star you can see in the sky on a clear night, scientists have estimated that there are 100 kinds of insects-a total of over 800,000 kinds. There are billions of insects of each kind. Throughout history, insects have covered the earth in great numbers" (The Bible Almanac, Nelson Publishing, p. 240)...singing up a storm! Bringing glory to the God who made them!

Today I have a more modest plea. "Help me to glorify you, like an insect involved in one of those concerts!" Woodstock had nothing on precedents for outdoor events. God was way ahead all along-overseeing an amazing display of His glory which is missed to all of the inattentive.

Don't miss the concert!