'Creation' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
Romans 8:18-25…“For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” vss. 24-25 The longer we live the more likely it is that we will experience the deaths of friends and family members. And when that happens we are always grateful to be able to offer words of comfort to those who grieve.…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 65:9-13…“the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.” vs.13 For this psalmist creation was a visible manifestation of God’s presence. It wasn’t just eye candy for Sunday drives through the countryside. All that could be seen was not only connected to God, it had a vital relationship to God. As all of us learned from “Sound of Music” the hills weren’t just there to look at, they were…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 55:12-13…“Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” vs. 13 The myrtle is an evergreen broadleaf plant common to the Middle East and is known for its medicinal properties. Its white blossoms are large and showy and it has come to be a symbol of love and peace. Isaiah…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 8:5-9…“You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet…” vs. 6 The psalmist was mindful of the ultimate insignificance of humans in the universe, yet he also believed that they had a significant place among created beings. They had been given the responsibility of dominion over the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea. In other words, the stewardship of the…
Daily Devotions
Genesis 1:26-2:4a…“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” vs. 31 The writers of this creation story from Genesis described the universe and the world that God had spoken into existence as being very good, and that included the humans who had been charged with its stewardship. It is so important for us to remember this bold affirmation as we struggle with the…
Daily Devotions
John 1:14-18… “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” vs. 14 John acknowledges that it’s impossible to see God. We can look at a thousand sunrises and marvel at the wonder of creation, but when it comes down to it, the sheer transcendence of God is too much for our puny minds. The best we can do is catch…
Daily Devotions
John 1:10-13… “He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.” vs. 10 John didn’t confine his nativity story to the stable in Bethlehem. For him everything about Jesus has a cosmic dimension. All things came into being through the Word and in a real sense, creation itself was the first incarnation. That’s such a powerful image that we can scarcely comprehend its significance. To put it in another…
Daily Devotions
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” vss. 7-8 Galatians 6:7-10 The people to whom Paul was writing were visited by hard-liners from Jerusalem who were insisting that anyone who became a Christian would also need to be circumcised. For Paul, this was a…
Daily Devotions
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!” vss. 1-3 Psalm 148:1-6 Humans have always been fascinated by the skies and we’ve spent thousands of years observing both day and night, recording the movements of stars and planets, and tracking the paths of the sun and moon. They certainly aren’t static, and it…
Daily Devotions
Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” vss, 2-4a Psalm 19 The psalmist believed that God was revealed in the creation. If we wanted to know God all we needed to do was open up our eyes and take a look around. And if…
Daily Devotions
You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.” vs. 12 Psalm 65:9-13 As the psalmist meditated on the wonders of the natural world he was overwhelmed by the way everything worked together in seamless fashion. There was sunlight and rain, rivers that seasonally watered the crops, and it was all under the direction of God. Because of…
Daily Devotions
Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet…” vss. 5-6 Psalm 8:5-9 Having acknowledged the insignificance of humanity in the whole scope of creation, the psalmist then makes the audacious claim that humans are close to divine and have been crowned with glory and honor. More than that, he says, they have…