A daily devotional for your time alone with God. In an increasingly dark world, more than ever, we need to look beyond what we can see, past our present circumstances. In order to see the light and experience life as our Heavenly Father intended, I...
"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." Romans 1:20 NLT
Have you recently taken the opportunity to intentionally watch the sky as the sun rises or sets? Often it's observed as part of our work day but can still be a very moving moment of connecting with something greater than the problems or joys of the day. Sitting by the ocean and watching waves breaking on the shore, letting the senses take in the experience can be equally moving. Whether walking through a beautiful rainforest, under a canopy of ancient trees or hiking up a magnificent mountain to take in the view from a different perspective, it seems God's Creation, which began with a Word, has kept on speaking to people through all time.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not always necessary to walk inside a church, to draw close to experience or get to know God! The earth is absolutely laden with so many incredible, living things we can encounter, as we explore God's Creation:
"Then God said, "Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind." So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth." And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day. Then God said, "Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals." And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:20-25 NLT
After creating a perfect environment, it was time to fill it! Again, we read today that God spoke, He created, it happened and He saw that it was good! The difference here was that God blessed them! His intention was for them to be fruitful and multiply.
It's very interesting that birds, sea creatures and wild animals have been studied intensively over the years by scientists and new discoveries are being made all the time! Surely as Romans 1:20 says, through all of Creation, people can see God's divine nature and eternal power. Paul says, there is no excuse for not seeing Him! As they study the intricate, complex internal systems and the unique habits and survival techniques of each living thing, how can they not see him? How can they not know him? Surely they would eventually have to make a connection between the created and the Creator!
Yesterday, God drew my attention to a song written as a hymn in the early 1900's, 'Morning Has Broken'. It was surprisingly made widely known in 1971 by a British pop singer, who brought it to the secular pop charts! The words point us to the fact that each new day that begins, connects us with the very first morning! In a way, it is a re-creation of the first day:
Morning has broken, like the first morning Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird Praise for the singing, praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the word
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven Like the first dew fall, on the first grass Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning Born of the one light, Eden saw play Praise with elation, praise every morning God's re-creation of the new day (Eleanor Farjeon 1931)
Reading over the lyrics, I was struck by the thought that the sound of each bird I hear as I wake up, links me to that fifth day of Creation when God gave life to the various types of birds and they uttered their first call, echoing through the trees of Eden. I can imagine the sunlight on the first dew in that garden and my heart is filled with thanksgiving for all that God continues to bless us with in Creation.
Prayer: Lord, we are so blessed, each and every morning, as the newness and freshness of dawn, gives us a glimpse of the very first day. Thank you for the wonders of Your creativity that we see in the vast array of fish, birds and animals You have gifted us with. Our minds cannot fully comprehend how great You are! We are filled with elation and praise for You as we consider all that You have made. Lord we pray that we would be increasingly mindful of all we have been given and thankful for the way You have revealed Yourself to us through nature. Help us not to take a single day for granted but to use every opportunity to point others to knowing You, the Creator behind the creation.
For Your glory, in Jesus' Name, Amen.
"For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see." Psalms 36:9 NLT
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