Daily Devotional

One of the things I enjoy doing in the early morning is going out into our subdivision for a walk.  Now I will be honest, I started walking for exercise because I wanted to improve my physical health.  When you get to my age, I have come to realize the reality of the statement, “Use it or lose it.”  What I forced myself to do in the beginning has now become something I enjoy.  Our subdivision has over 2.5 miles of roads, so it gives me ample area to walk each morning.  Since I live in the foothills it also gives me the opportunity to see God’s handy work as I look at His creation.  I often start my walks when it is just verily light enough to see.  As I look up into the morning sky, I can see a sliver of a moon rising with the planet Venus shining brightly.  At other times I see a harvest moon setting in the horizon.  As the sun rises, it illuminates the table mountains in our area with great beauty.   In the spring when the wildflowers are blooming, I see the intricate work of God’s hands.  My thoughts turn to how amazing is our Creator God.  He has made our world and universe and holds it together for us to visually enjoy, creating wonder as we look at the beauty around us.  I am reminded that He has created all this for me and others to enjoy as we walk through life.

The Psalmist, as he contemplated God’s creative activity, exhorts us to praise the Lord with our whole being.  There is an excitement about the beauty and wonder of creation.  It all points us to the reality that there is a Creator.  “The heavens proclaim the glory of God.  The skies display his craftsmanship.” (Psalm 19:1)   It causes us to respond in worshiping the Creator.  Creation proclaims that there is a God and that we can know Him.  “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) Creation is a witness to God’s reality and is inviting us to know the One Who made it all.  As the Psalmist was drawn into God’s presence through the creation around Him, we too can be drawn to worship the Lord as His creation proclaims His glory.  The Word of God reveals God to us and how to know Him.  Creation also witnesses to God’s existence.  What a privilege we have to respond in praise and worship, as God declares His greatness in all that He has created and His Word.  What assurance this brings into my life that I know the Lord because He has revealed Himself to me through His Word and all that He has made.

The Psalmist is overwhelmed by what he sees.  He stands in awe of God.  The only way he can respond is, “O LORD my God, how great you are!”   He has come to an understanding of how great God is!  In the true sense of the word, God is “awesome.”  There is no one who compares to Him.  There are no other gods.  He is the only true God.  Today God is inviting us to come to Him in true worship.  Many times, in the morning I return home after my walk and realize this was not just exercise for my physical body, but this was a deeply spiritual exercise of seeing my Lord for Who He is.  It has been a time of worship as the Holy Spirit has recalled Scripture verses and songs that reinforce the wonder of creation that I see all around me.  Truly we can say with the Psalmist, “How great You are!”  

I want to encourage you over the next weeks to take time to get away from the routines of life and spend time worshiping the God of creation.  This may mean taking a drive, going for a walk or just sitting in your backyard, focusing on the handywork of God as declared in Psalm 19.  Take the time with me to see what a truly “awesome” God we know and serve.

Prayer:  Lord, I admit that so often in life I have become so busy that I have not taken the time to see and meditate on how great You are.  Help me to take those moments in my day when I can stop and focus on You.  Thank You for the privilege of being Your child and knowing You.  Amen

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.