A bright yellow lemon, a fresh juicy orange, flowers and succulents of so many sizes, colors shapes, some with petals soft like silk and a sweet scent. Even a dandelion, known to be a weed, is so pretty actually, and fun when it becomes a white, fluffy puff that we can make a wish on and blow.
These are the treasures I found within minutes of wandering outside today. And then there was also the gift of the sky.
“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the the earth, and their words to all the world.” Psalm 19:1-4
The Psalms I read this past week consistently reminded me of his glory, his works, and most of all, his unfailing love. If I’m too busy, distracted, worried, focused on me, I can walk right past his daily gifts. I can tune out the sound of his voice seen in the sky, a plant, the person right in front of me.
Today I read Psalm 111, and in it, the verse that really caught my attention was this:
“How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them.”
Psalm 111:2
This reminded me of how truly great God's works are, so my Psalm prayer today is one of praise. In the notes of my Bible it said this about praise:
“One of the most wonderful things about God is that he lives in our praise. He inhabits the praises of his people. When we worship him, it’s not like worshiping some cold and distant deity. He’s a loving God who wants to be with us. And when we worship him, he is.
When we praise God, his presence comes to dwell with us. And the most amazing thing about that is when it does, things change. Always! You can count on it. Hearts change. Situations change. Lives change. Minds change. Attitudes change.
Every time you praise God, something changes within you, or your circumstances, or in the people or situations around you. Praise is the prayer that changes everything.”
The prayer that changes everything. Maybe that explains why I feel an unexplainable sense of peace or strength or calm after reading a Psalm that praises God. I am reminded every time who is in control and how good he is, how much he loves us and will be with us. Nothing facing me is too hard with him. As Psalm 111 reminds me, “All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. They are forever true.” Psalm 111:7-8
Yes, there are bad things that happen in this world. But then there is God. He promises to make things right, even when we don’t understand how or when. He is good. Always. The more I look at nature and the things God has created, the more I am reminded of this, the more I simply feel his presence.
I read today about a science lab in Cambridge, England called the Cavendish Laboratory, named after English chemist and physicist Sir Henry Cavendish. Above the entrance to the lab are the words from Psalm 111:2, inscribed as a charter for every believing scientist. I also read a quote from astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler. When he first turned his telescope to the sky, he exclaimed, “I am thinking over again the first thoughts of God.”
What an incredible thing to say. What if I were to remind myself that every time I looked at anything in creation that I was thinking over the thoughts of God. It reminds me of something one of the youth in our recent Bible study time said. She wisely said that when she read Psalm 103:13, which says, “The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him,” she was reminded that when we look at ourselves and put ourselves down, we are insulting God’s creation. We should look at ourselves the way God does, with compassion and love. What an incredible and true thought. Imagine if we all did this when we looked at ourselves, at others.
Charles Spurgeon said, "In design, in size, in number, in excellence, all the works of the Lord are great. Even the little things of God are great."
So today I encourage you to have a day of praise. If you can, get outside, even for a moment, or anywhere you see God’s creation, and think about how truly incredible it is. Examine it closely if you have time. Be a scientist or an artist for a moment and see what a gift you have in whatever it is you see. Even if you don’t feel like an artist, try sketching something – a leaf, a flower petal, anything. Drawing it forces you to examine it a little more closely. Think about how truly incredible this thing you see is. Write or say a prayer of thanks and fill your day paying attention to the beauty of this world, and see how your day goes. Maybe gift your drawing to a friend or loved one and tell them what a gift they are, or put it somewhere as a reminder of God's unfailing love.
I pray that you hear God saying he loves you today in the sky, that you feel his power and strength in creation surrounding you, and that this prayer of praise can be for you the prayer that changes everything. I also thank God for each of you who read this. You are one of the many beautiful gifts from God in my life.
