Morning Devotional 080122 Beyond Imagination

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

Aug. 1, 2022

Read Psalm 8:1-9

1 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth! You made your glory higher than heaven! 2 From the mouths of nursing babies you have laid a strong foundation because of your foes, in order to stop vengeful enemies. 3 When I look up at your skies, at what your fingers made the moon and the stars that you set firmly in place 4 what are human beings that you think about them; what are human beings that you pay attention to them? 5 You’ve made them only slightly less than divine, crowning them with glory and grandeur. 6 You’ve let them rule over your handiwork, putting everything under their feet 7 all sheep and all cattle, the wild animals too, 8 the birds in the sky, the fish of the ocean, everything that travels the pathways of the sea. 9 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!

Good morning! O Lord, Our Lord, How Majestic Is Your Name in All of the Earth!

As I spend time with God this morning on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, I marvel at the diversity of the earth. Those of us with the pleasure of living in Virginia are blessed by the oceans lapping at our shore to the east and by the mountains stretching upward to the west. In between and beyond those glorious creations there are so many features that one loses count.

For me, the most amazing part is the tiny, unique details that dot our land. When you stand at the seashore, every aspect of each wave is different: each path is slightly different. The same is true for the mountains. When I look out to the horizon and see the Blue Ridge, no two peaks are the same.

I remember, as a child, trying to draw a picture with mountains. My images were very regimented. Even when the peaks were different heights, they were very similar in shape. Of course there are the folds that I didn’t even try to capture in my rudimentary drawing. I wonder that even for those who are better artists you must run out of new ways to draw a mountain or a wave approaching the shore.

God took the time and care to create a masterpiece in the land, seas, and sky that we call the earth. Then God created us, his children, in his own image and gave us dominion over his handiwork. In our moments of challenge and despair, we sometimes begin to doubt our worthiness. Some ask, “Why am I here?” Whenever I need to affirm myself, I thank God for the beauty and majesty that surrounds me. As I gaze at the intricacy of the earth, I remember that God made me and God doesn’t make junk. Praise Be to God!

Loving and Caring God, Thank You for loving us. God, You are mighty. We are a small part in your creation, but You give to us Your love and mercy. Thank You! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

Thought for the day: How do I experience God in creation?

Enjoy God’s creation that surrounds you! Pastor Liz