I recently finished a book called God of All Things: Rediscovering the Sacred in an Everyday World by Andrew Wilson. This was the first book I have read by this author, but it has rocked my world. I think I first heard of it on a podcast I listen to, and the forward was written by one of my favorites, Jen Wilkin, so I bought the book, but it has been sitting in my “to be read” pile (which is quite large)! for a while. Honestly, every time I finished a book and went to start something new, I glanced at this one, but thought it would be kind of boring. That couldn’t have been further from the truth.

As my “to be read” pile started shrinking (and I haven’t bought anything new from my even larger “want to read” list!), I finally picked up God of All Things to read. I was quickly drawn in, and caught between wanting to devour the whole thing at one time and the need to read slowly and stop to praise God after each chapter.

The book is all about how creation points beyond itself to the creator, and its 30 chapters of “things” from the Old and New Testaments that have theological implications. Some of them more obviously point to God, like galaxies and rainbows, but some I new would have thought of, like donkeys and pots. In his conclusion, Wilson says his dream was that the reader “might look around you and see reasons to worship that you hadn’t noticed before” (Wilson, 2021, p. 201). He certainly accomplished that for me. Almost every chapter gave me goosebumps and I had to stop and worship God for the amazing creator that He is.

Probably my favorite chapter was the one on fruit, which he says points to the kindness of God. Many people are probably familiar with, or have even memorized the fruit of the spirit from Galatians 5:22-23: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,” but Wilson goes even deeper. He talks about how yes, fruit is associated with the fall, but it is also associated with blessing. Over and over God tells people to “be fruitful and multiply.” And he names nine specific fruits that are mentioned in Scripture: pomegranates, olives, grapes, dates, figs, berries, apples, melons and cucumbers. I’m not going to tell you how all of these point to God’s character (read the book!) but it is awesome.

So this is your encouragement to get this book and be awed by the seemingly ordinary things we interact with every day, like dust, tools, rain, trees, and fruit. God doesn’t do anything by accident. Everything He made points us back to Him.

Romans 11:33-36:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Wilson, A. (2021). God of all things: Rediscovering the sacred in an everyday world. Zondervan Reflective.