Thursday June 8: Reminders of God’s Love

¹Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty…¹⁴You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth, ¹⁵and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart. ¹⁶The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. ¹⁷In them the birds build their nests; the stork has its home in the fir trees. ¹⁸The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the coneys. ¹⁹You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. ²⁰You make darkness, and it is night, when all the animals of the forest come creeping out. ²¹The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. ²²When the sun rises, they withdraw and lie down in their dens. ²³People go out to their work and to their labor until the evening. ²⁴O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.— Psalm 104: 1, 14-24

⁶Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. ⁷But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. — Luke 12:6-7

Acadia National Park is the home of the United State’s first sunrise, at least during the fall and winter months. From the peak of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point in the park, those who travel to its top are among the first people on the East Coast to see the sunrise in the United States. The sunrise from that peak is stunning. As I watched the sun begin to rise one fall morning, the light slowly began to peek over the horizon. Before long, the entire area around me that was just cloaked in darkness was suddenly bathed in sunlight. Everything from the broad mountain we stood on to the tiniest grains of dirt and the little ants around my feet was illuminated.

Watching the sunrise reminds me of the beauty of God’s creation, whether it’s in a national park or on the way to work. The Bible reminds us that everything we see around us, from the biggest things down to the smallest, most seemingly insignificant details, are God’s creation. The psalmist delights in this beauty, naming aspects of God’s creation he enjoys and celebrating the care and love of God he sees reflected in each.

In his ministry, Jesus too would often point to creation as a sign of God’s care and love. The tiniest details in creation have not been overlooked by God; indeed, God even knows the number of hairs on our head. The love and care we see around us is a reminder of the depth of God’s love and care for us.

As you go about your day, let the beauty of creation inspire you to consider both the big things we put before God in our lives as well as the smaller things that we may not think deserve God’s attention or care. All of them are part of God’s creation, and all are worthy of his love and grace.

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the gift of creation and the depth of your love it reveals. Help me to care for this gift, even as I appreciate it. Help me to lift up to you all of my cares and concerns, no matter how big and small. Amen.