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Reading: Psalm 136:1-9
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever (NIV).*
Wild flowers — photo by David Kitz
Reflection
Here are some straightforward facts about me. I love nature. I enjoy all four seasons. I love getting out of the house and hiking through the woods or riding my bicycle along nature trails. I am fascinated by the wildlife I encounter on these excursions. I like planting a backyard garden in spring, and harvesting the produce from it through the summer and fall. I feel knitted to the land and its seasons.
My love for God’s creation underpins my love for God. A God who created such a beautiful, wonder-filled world must be truly awesome—awesome beyond measure—because the universe He created is awesome beyond measure.
Psalm 136 extols the virtues of this awesome limitless God. His love endures forever. For a total of twenty-six verses the psalmist expounds on the goodness of the LORD. In response His people reply, “His love endures forever.”
Today’s reading lays the foundation for our worship. That foundation rests on the wonder of God’s creation. We are to give thanks to God because He alone does great wonders. By his understanding, [He] made the heavens, and spread out the earth upon the waters.
As you go through your day do you find moments where you give God thanks for the wonders of His creation? In an urban, man-made environment we can lose touch with nature and our Creator. We lose something precious—something fundamental to our well-being—when that happens.
Response: LORD God, help me to appreciate the wonder of your creation every day. Give me opportunities to see the beauty in it, because it’s a reflection of your magnificent character. Amen.
Your Turn: Do you enjoy nature? Does that appreciation of nature translate into love for God?
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA
Volume II of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here.
I have the pleasure of sitting with my morning coffee and watching the garden birds at the bird table, it stirs a prayer of thanksgiving as I gaze at these beautiful creatures. I am often perplexed how anyone could not believe in an Almighty Creator.
I’m perplexed along with you, Alan. The magnificence of God’s creation is obvious for those who have not been blinded by the deceiver.
My absolute favorite place on earth is our family farm in Southern Ohio.
That’s what I love and miss about farm life—the constant interaction with nature. I too grew up on a farm, so I easily identify with that sentiment. I hope to return to that farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, later this summer or in the early fall. It’s 1,600 miles away, but always in my heart.
I look at the mountains, the valleys, the celestial stars and their arrangement in the heavens and the earth as the seasons change year after year, I wonder, as you do, how can anyone believe that all this does not have a Creator.
No one would find a wristwatch while walking through the woods and conclude this inanimate device just took shape by chance. No, it had an intelligent creator and and designer. A trillion random acts could never put the parts of that watch together. Yet according to some scientists, we are to believe that the intricacies of a random single cell, infinitely more complex than a watch, just spontaneously took shape. That’s just ridiculous!
We have a Creator. Let’s bless His name!