"The Heavens Declare the Glory of God"

Psalm 19: "The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message."


"May the sun bring you new energy by day,
may the moon softly restore you by night,
may the rain wash away your worries,
may the breeze blow new strength into your being."   -Apache Blessing


I took these photos early this morning. The sky was beautifully lit, with hot pink, pale blue and gray.

It seems as if the "theme for the day" in my devotionals is finding God through Nature; I like that.

I've heard it said that Nature is God's first Bible. That makes sense. It's easy to see God in the beauties of Nature: artistry, creativity, love, life, newness, freshness, infinite variety, individuality, abundance for all of the senses to enjoy.

The harshness of Nature is also a teacher, but I've never known quite what to make of it. I learn impermanence from it; it inspires awe, makes me grateful for small gifts, humbles me...and sometimes, that harshness is frightening.

Ephesians 2:19-22  "Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

I need this belonging, this membership in a household. That's a vital part of my humanity, to belong to something larger than myself. To be reminded that I am part of "the household of God" is a comfort. Remembering that He is building me, with other family members, "into a dwelling place" for Himself is an honor, and a humbling gift. He is doing the work. I can rest, if I can just remember this!

I need to allow God to hold me, hold my grieving heart, hold the brokenness and heaviness, and all of the rest of me. Consciously, to give Him my grief, rather than trying to hold and carry it myself, takes awareness, trust and humility. May He form me into a place for Himself to dwell.

Come, Lord Jesus.

"The Bible calls the good person's life a light; and it is the nature of light to flow out spontaneously in all directions, and fill the world unconsciously with its beams."  - Horace Bushnell