"Palo Duro"

The canyon Palo Duro,

The colors there surprise,

Shades orange, red and amber,

And walls of rock sheer rise.

Awful, rugged country,

Of those fierce Comanche folk,

Wintered there in solitude,

Before the white man’s yoke.

The ranch of Charlie Goodnight,

Cattle long and lean,

He chose to make his home there,

In that wind-swept western scene.

And now the folks come looking,

At the desolate and wild,

And wonder what it must have been,

When God’s earth was just a child.

And, I, too came looking,

At the sun and rock and sky,

But my heart was filled with gratitude,

And water filled my eyes.

‘Cause that old Palo Duro,

Shows the greatest art of all,

Is when God has a canvas,

Like those old canyon walls.

He plays with hue and shadow,

And whispers on the wind,

The changing leaves and patterns,

Shows He is there and then,

He smiles and laughs and blesses,

All who cast an eye,

On an ever-changing masterpiece,

That goes from sky to sky.

And it was just a year ago,

I first stood in that place,

On the cliff’s edge of adventure,

With the sunlight on her face.

The blessing of my darling,

And now just one year wed,

All that God had promised,

And all that He has said.

The Book says we’re the crowning,

Of all that He has made,

His very prized possession,

His favor on us laid.

To me there is no question,

That all fo this is true,

And in the Palo Duro,

His words within me grew.

The flowing of the water,

The rustle in the trees,

The giant bluffs and carvings,

And all there, if you please,

To give a testimony,

And point all to the way,

Of Jesus and salvation,

And their soon saving day.

So go to Palo Duro

When you have the time,

I pray that when you go there,

His presence you will find.

“And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession…” (James 1:18, NLT)

God’s creation is magnificent and declares His glory. Its beauty can be absolutely breath-taking, and is a powerful testimony to His greatness and goodness. But even more beautiful is that which is created in His image- humankind. Our lives are made beautiful when His grace redeems and heals us. He calls us His prized possession, and indeed we are! The beauty of the natural world points us to the great Designer. And when the revelation is complete in us, we receive Jesus as Savior and He makes us beautiful as well.

Lord, help us clearly reflect Your beauty, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mark Maggiori, markmaggiori.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Mark, and God bless you.