Daily Bible Readings:
Monday, February 1. Read Job 9:22-26. 1) Everyone knows what happened to Job. In this response to Bildad, what does Job say God does to both wicked and blameless? 2) What power does the wicked have? 3) How does Job regard his life?
Tuesday, February 2. Read Psalm 137. 1) What is the Psalmist doing beside the “rivers of Babylon.” 2) Why were he weeping? 3) About what does he pray to the Lord.
Wednesday, February 3. Read Romans 1:18-20. 1) What does Paul say about the truth of God? 2) How does God reveal Godself to us?
Thursday, February 4. Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. 1) What does Paul say about our “calling”? 2) How did God choose to work in the world?
Friday, February 5. Read 2 Corinthians 1:8-10. 1) What did Paul say about afflictions in his life? 2) How did Paul think about the destination of his life? 3) What did God do for Paul?
Saturday, February 6. Read Isaiah 40:21-31. This is Sunday’s sermon text.
Hymn of the Week:
God of the Earth, the Sky, the Sea
by Samuel Longfellow, 1819
God of the earth, the sky, the sea!
Maker of all above, below!
Creation lives and moves in thee,
Thy present life in all doth flow.
We give thee thanks,
Thy name we sing,
Almighty Father, heavenly King.
Thy love is in the sunshine’s glow,
Thy life is in the quickening air;
When lightning flashes and storm winds blow,
There is thy power, thy law is there.
We give thee thanks,
Thy name we sing,
Almighty Father, heavenly King.
We feel Thy calm at evening’s hour,
Thy grandeur in the march of night;
And when Thy morning breaks in power,
We hear Thy Word, “Let there be light.”
We give thee thanks,
Thy name we sing,
Almighty Father, heavenly King.
But higher far, and far more clear,
Thee in man’s spirit we behold;
Thine image and Thyself are there
Indwelling God,
Proclaimed of old.
We give thee thanks,
Thy name we sing,
Almighty Father, heavenly King.
Prayer for the Week:
Creator of All and Lover of mankind,
The warmth of the sun’s embrace, the gentle breeze swept in by incoming tide,
the rhythm of seasons, of new birth, death and recreation.
All these speak so clearly of your love, your power and your beauty.
All are expressions of your creativity, and more importantly of yourself.
As an artist might share his personality within each brushstroke,
so within the myriad colors of a butterfly’s wing,
you share the exuberance of your love.
For these, we give you thanks and praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Devotional Article of the Week:
Creation Speaks
If we are willing, and if we allow ourselves the space to listen, God’s voice surrounds us.
by Jackie Halstead, Ph.D.
Spring is the time of rebirth. I love the variations of green. The lime green of the new leaves and the turning to a deeper green as they mature. It is a wonderful time to be outside with the moderate temperatures. It seems as if creation is inviting us to come outside and participate in the gift that God has given.
Scripture speaks of creation crying out in praise of God. Jesus responds to the Pharisees “shushing” the disciples on the triumphal entry, “If they cease, the rocks will cry out” (Luke 19:40). The psalmist speaks of creation joining in the praise of God:
Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for at his command they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
he issued a decree that will never pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and women,
old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
And he has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his faithful servants,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the Lord.
(Psalm 148:1-14)
I love this personification of creation. It does indeed speak of God and for God. It is a way that the person of God is revealed.
From the time I was small, creation has been soul food for me. I love each season and the way they reveal God’s creativity. But it goes deeper than that. There is something about being immersed in nature and away from manmade structures that serve as a thin place — where the veil between heaven and earth is thin.
Each year I go on an eight-day silent retreat. Most of the time that I’m awake, I’m outside — walking, sitting, kayaking. It is how I best listen to God. Sometimes there is a great epiphany, but most often, I am just cognizant of God’s love. There are times when God challenges me to remember who it is I am created to be and to live more fully into that reality. Or God encourages me to let go of control and remember again that God is God, and I am not. Creation speaks into these messages. Sometimes it is creation itself and at other times, it is the sense of calm I feel that allows me to listen. The stress seems to dissipate as I participate in God’s creativity.
And when I am listening, there are other messages. At times God reminds me of my value. I watch the birds and the words of Jesus come to mind, “look at the birds of the air, they neither reap nor sow… yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:26). The world — my job, my friends, my family, my culture — may say I am worthless or inadequate, yet God cares for me.
Or I might recognize the design behind creation. Nothing is wasted. Even the mosquitos — yes, even them — are food for the bats and the birds. God’s design in creation tells me that God was intentional in my design: “You were knit together in your mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). God has created me for a purpose.
In a time of pain and suffering, I am reminded that God is the healer and restorer. I see the way nature heals following a natural disaster or storm. When I lived in Montana as a child, we feared the possibility of forest fires but also recognized that they were necessary for cleaning out the diseased plants and trees and allowing for new and strong life to grow. We learned that our interference in removing something “bad,” upset the ecological balance. God is faithful.
God can use nature to speak to us in times of suffering. Times of suffering are often a time when I sense God’s presence in creation. I may feel the comfort of God through the dreariness of a rainy day. The rain and clouds may be indicative of God weeping with me. The gray-heaviness of the day feels like an embrace. Or, life may feel heavy, but then the sun bursts through the clouds and I realize that life goes on.
Of course, we are not always open to these thoughts. However, I want to encourage you to open the eyes and ears of your heart to what God may be communicating in creation. The message is unique to each of us. We are all in different places and in need of different communication and God knows us intimately. If we are willing, and if we allow ourselves the space to listen, God’s voice surrounds us. Creation invites us to participate!