Tag: creation

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Our God Above All

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You formed the Earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Psalm 90:1

The Lord our God reigns.

He is covered in blinding light and His strength has no boundary

The majesty of His presence is above all things

From His throne flows an incredible power that travels out across the entire universe.

His presence is awesome, far greater than anything that He made

This world, our home, was formed by His hands. By them, He carefully crafted the formation of this incredible place within the greatness of our universe

He thought of it and formed it for His own pleasure and desire, as a place for life to exist and for us to live in

God’s throne was established from the beginning. He is from everlasting to everlasting

There is nothing that can move Him from His place

He reigns above all

We see the wonders of this earth and cry out in awe of its beauty and goodness. But you, oh God, are far far greater

Our eyes look out across the vast expanse of our oceans, and shudder the at the power of the tall waves that rage upon it. They roar and rise up to great heights and shake the land as they break upon the shorelines

But You, Our God, are mightier than these. You laugh at the angry waters

And though they crash and roar with tremendous power, they are nothing to You, oh God. You see them and smile, for you cannot be moved by them

We can observe from space the great storms that sweep across our planet

They move like gigantic waves and whirlpools miles above us. Their winds blast the earth. We run and seek shelter from their fury. But You, are unshaken. They are beautiful to you, for they accomplish Your will as they water the earth below.

Even in the harsh vastness of space, which surround us in unimaginable distances. You are not threatened, harmed, or controlled in any way. For the mighty things of this creation have no affect upon their creator. But You guide all things in any way in which you want

Even when a star explodes, or galaxies containing billions of stars collide, You remain unaffected. Or, when Black Holes with their incredible mass and gravity swallow up everything around them; You are not bothered in any way. For You are mighty above all things, and You made each of these for there own purpose

At the end of time when this creation come to its end, You will still reign. Your strength, power, and love will last beyond all of this. In all Your glory you shall remain God forever.

What an awesome God we have. I will continue to praise Him for the rest of my days

The Lord, our God, has made us to live within this beautiful and amazing creation. He has made this place with loving hands and guides it with a steadfast heart

Isn’t it profound that God so loved us that He sent His Son Jesus, along with His Spirit, and Word to us, His children

So that we might live to all the fullness He designed us for. And so that those who love and trust in Him may live in His presence, forever more. Amen. 1/24/2024

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The Incredible Wanderer

The Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens)

One morning a few weeks ago, I stepped out into my yard and entered a familiar place, my pollinator garden. Almost immediately I spotted a plain looking Dragonfly resting on a branch soaking up the early sunlight. It had large eyes, clear veined wings, and a body that was light green and dull yellow. I was lucky that I came out early and it was still at rest, for I was able to sneak up and snap a couple of pictures. Seconds later, it flew up and circled the garden in effortless flight.

I’ve learned something important in recent years. When we take the time and effort to look closer at the life that lives all around us, we see so much more that we ever thought possible. There are thousands of species living in the places near where we live that we regularly pass by and never learn anything about. Some of these are truly incredible creatures that inspire us, wow us with their beauty, or surprise us with a unique ability. Life on this planet is amazing, and a wonderful slice of it is happening every day just outside our doors. As I have looked closer at what lives in the world around me, it became obvious that God did not make a simple world for us to live in. It is truly astounding in its complexity and function, yet in equal measure, it is filled with beauty and life giving qualities. 

When I went back in to have a morning cup of coffee, I thought about the visitor I had just seen. It looked a little different than other dragonflies I had seen recently. So, I uploaded my pictures and used an app to help me identify it. It came up as a Wandering Glider. Hmm, something I had never seen before, and I felt honored that this new visitor felt inclined to stop by this tiny garden within God’s vast creation.

As I sipped my coffee, I began to read about this creature. There was a lot of information about this one, perhaps because it was an unusually widespread insect. Infact, the most widespread Dragonfly on the entire earth. But, even more surprising to me was its ability as a long distance traveler. This small bug is perhaps the most exceptional migrator and navigator I had ever heard of. Some populations of the Wandering Glider have multigenerational migrations that span over eleven thousand miles. They travel across continents, the worlds highest mountain ranges, even vast oceans to follow the wet warm seasons of winds and moisture such as the famous monsoons.

I read about a scientist who studied one of their most amazing journeys. He found that a very large population of these insects migrate across the entire Indian Ocean from East Africa to India, nearly two thousand miles. Out over the water, these Dragonflies cannot land, or eat, but somehow they have enough strength to cover this distance flying nonstop in about five days. They use an inate knowledge of the weather and seasons to follow the monsoons and weather patterns of this region. They ride on the winds of these storms at just the right times and altitudes like fine skilled sailors. Back and forth they fly from Africa to India and from India to Africa over and over, for multiple generations. It just so happens that these weather patterns bring rains which wet the land, allowing this dragonfly to successfully lay millions of eggs into puddles and ponds on both continents. Being the voracious preditor they are, their larva consume literally billions of mosquito larva in these pools of water, keeping the pest populations in check and reducing the spread of infectious diseases like Malaria and Dengue.

After a couple days, the Wandering Gliders who had visited my humble garden moved on, likely to the north to a place of there own knowing. But I have not forgotten them. Life is truly surprising, and I’m reminded what an incredible place this Earth is when I see something that may not appear that special, but really blows me away. It strengthens my belief in God to see these wonders in the world that He created. I believe we all benefit from eachother and that this place is not just for us, but for all the life that lives here. It strengthens my resolve that it is absolutely worth protecting, because all of God’s creatures and plants each can tell similarly amazing stories. How important then that we try to save this place and keep things intact as best we can. For God created all of this abundant creation for our benefit and also for the prosperity of the life that lives here. 

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Let All The Earth Praise Him

“Oh Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:9

Shout praises to the Lord of all creation. Give glory to Him who reigns

Sing songs of gratitude for His mercy and love; give thanks for the multitude of His blessings

Sing forth all you mountains. Bend low, every hillside. Tremble, before His power and majesty

Raise your branches, every tree. Reach them high towards the heavens. Dance as the wind of His Spirit rustles through your leaves that catch the sun’s glowing light

Give honor to Him, all you vineyards; and blessing you fertile fields. For He has given you richness in great abundance, so that you might bless all the earth with plenty

Call forth you songbirds. Cry out every Eagle on high. Give honor to Him, darting swallows, for He has given you the wind beneath your wings

In thanksgiving bow before Him. With gratitude give him praise. For He has fed you from His abundance and placed the miracle of life within your frame

Call out you azure heavens. Raise up you mighty thunder clouds. Give glory to Him who stands above you, and stirs you like dust beneath His feet

Shine forth, every golden sunbeam. Illuminate God’s good earth, whom He alone has made

Give light to all His children, so they might glory at the beauty of His creation

Whisper soft hymns, you quiet waters. Reflect forth images of His goodness and mercy. Give drink to all those who thirst, and life to all that lives and breathes

Give honor to the God of the heavens, sing praise to Him who made this Earth

Offer, each day, a sacrifice of grateful thanksgiving for all the good things He has done

Our God is higher than all of His creation. He is greater than anything known

Sing, for He is awesome

Raise you voices, because of the magnitude of His glory

Lift up His name, for He is more than worthy of all of our praise. 11/5/2006

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Morning

I awoke earlier than I had expected this morning. Fumbling around in the dark to find my socks, my phone does a belly flop on the hardwood floor. Smack, my dog grumbles her disapproval. You see it was her doing that I had arose so early. Her mumbling growls awoke me from a deep slumber. Something was up outside that her keen ears had detected, some critter stirring, an unfamiliar sound… a distant bark from one of her buddies.

So it was out into the morning we went. The storm from the night before was long past. A few clouds remained and skidded low over the nearby hills. One, which appeared avian, like a Sparrow gazing out across the valley. Its hopeful eyes studied the new day to come. There was light off to the east, a general glow out towards the horizon. Venus was stationed there her white brightness shone like a small bright searchlight. Always preferring the beauty of twilight, she announced the coming of this new day.

There were stars up there, too, though they were finishing up their closing act from last nights show. I was surprised to see some familiar actors from other seasons up there. The stars from some of my favorite nights out. Oh those fond memories of a balmy late summer evening laying back on a flat slab of granite high in the Sierra. Looking up to see the sparkle of a thousand stars sprinkled across the heavens. Of course the glowing stream of the Milky Way must have been up there, too, adding both depth and grandeur to the wonder of those nights.

But now, the flow of sunlight rising up from just below the arc of our earth has outshone those billions of worlds that resided above me. Only the brightest stars remained. Finding the Big Dipper, I followed its two pointer stars to the north. Ah, there it was, the north star, slightly to the left of where my eyes had searched. Geographical orientation locked in, I studied the heavens anew. Ninety degrees right, looking due east, I stood firm riding this spinning earth directly towards the sun. Bonzai!

What wonders lie just outside our doors; Incredible sights and sublime beauty. It calms and heals my soul to look upon these things each day in wonder. With deep gratitude, I give thanks to the maker of all that this morning has given me. What a great God He is!

The Sparrow has disappeared, the glow in the east grows brighter. The air is crisp and still, yet there is the sound of things beginning to stir. Birds are chirping, a car rolls by on a distant road. Soon I will be moving out into this world, getting things done, pursuing the things that this world demands. But, I will remain grounded in the things I have seen early this day and be assured that all is well. Because our God and creator, the one who has made all this has shown me a greater perspective this morning. I know that He is greater that all the petty things we have dreamed up here and that He still reigns over all this earth and also, across the heavens above. 1/17/2024

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The Highest Thing We Can Know

'Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain' Psalm 139:6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Psalm 139:6

The eyes of the Lord watch over all the Earth. They see in varied and abundant ways

No one can hide themselves from Him. There is nowhere that He does not exist

Live in awe of our Creator, be amazed by the magnitude of His glorious ways

We see in three dimensions; our minds have conceived of four. Some, who are inclined to dwell upon these things believe there may be more. Only God knows how many may exist

He inhabits every part of all that is

The Lord, our God, is filled with love for His creation. He regards those who trust in Him

He gave us His Son, Jesus Christ, as a measure of His love, so that we might more fully know Him and that we might dwell with Him for all eternity

Blessed are we who trust in Him as our savior. His children, the ones whom He looks upon with love. He pours out the blessing of His Spirit upon us, so that we might more fully know and experience His presence

We are finite and incredibly small in comparison to the width and breath of this all. The gift of life is poured out to each of us, but in the end our light is extinguished in death

How great then, is this gift of God. What beauty is bestowed upon us that we can overcome this sentence and be given life forever more

Our God is an awesome presence that fills all the universe. He comes and dwells within us as we trust and believe in Him

God sees our form, the Spirit of Christ searches us out. He dwells within us so that we might know Him and more fully understand the riches of His goodness and grace

Our lives are a miracle

The Lord, our God, has made each one of us. This gift which we were given, is incredible, it is highest thing that we can know

As we acknowledge Him as our Savior, and lift up His name with our highest praise, we live out our purpose and fulfill the reason we are here

Glorious God and King we fix our eyes upon You and bend the entire focus of our life towards Your glory, so that we may glorify You in all that we do.   4/18/2022

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A Prayer For This Land

“if a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn bushes so that it burns shocks of grain, standing grain, or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.” Exodus 22:6

Oh great God of heaven and Earth, I bow my head in prayer to You this day, and pray for this land that stretches out before me

I call out to my Lord, that You would listen to me and feel compassion for the life that lives here

A drought has stricken our lands. It has made our fields dry and cracked. Our once lush forests have been weakened and are struggling. They have become like tinder that waits for a single spark to ignite them

All of life here is in retreat. The beauty of the west is disappearing and the survivors are hard pressed and stricken

The fires come in weary regularity now. They burn like gigantic furnaces that consume everything in their path and with a quickness that fiercely devoirs the gardens that once bloomed there

It has been heartwarming to witness the regrowth that springs up after. Like a miracle, it is a testament to the tenacity of these survivors. But, something is much different now, the old ground rules are being broken

For the heat and the drought is just relentless. Year after year it continues to surprise us and repeat itself

The rebirth of our lands and forests, so promising, is losing now . Restoration is being aborted, because of the harshness of our climate

The days keep growing warmer and the nights even more so. The heat and aridness are worse that anyone can remember

Our wet seasons happen in short bursts, and then vanish for months at a time. Brief periods of ‘normal weather’ are being displaced by strange periods of sun, winds, and drought

Lord look down upon us and this hard stricken land. Bring us relief for the sake of this beautiful place. Look fondly upon this land, for it is suffering

I can’t help but think of the ways in which we have caused all this

The excesses of our age that have tilted the balance and now wreak damage. Global warming is a man-made plague, a problem of our own making, and our responsibility 

This drought I see all around me is a consequence of our actions

Can I really ask God to help bring us relief?

Can I truly ask Him to clean up this mess that is a product of our disrespect for His creation?

Therefore, I will pray a new prayer. May we all develop a caring attitude for the Earth and all that lives here

Can we overcome the inertia and profit motives of our industries, so that we may focus on finding solutions to this difficult problem?

How great are the consequences if we decide to ignore and accept this and deadly for millions of people in the coming years

Climate change has the potential to accelerate rapidly from here. As it does, it will ripple unrest, starvation, and plagues across the globe

I will pray then that we commit to undoing the damage we have caused, and that we will work together throughout the world, to care for the health of our planet

For this I will pray for, and for this, I will accept responsibility  2/4/2022

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A Mornings View

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

The heavens call out to me this morning. They sing a chorus over the darkened land

Their song shouts forth the glory of their place in the heavens above and speaks in quiet praise of the wonder of God’s creation

What joy I feel to see the stars and planets sparkling. How awesome to watch the smiling sliver of the moon poking up just above the horizon. The sun is chasing it, not far behind. Reflected light from earth illuminates the dim circle of its face

Great is our God who made all of this, He is wise beyond all the capabilities of our mind. By His power with a Word, He swung all this into motion. What wondrous things He has done

Our world is set amidst this endless creation. We have been cast as a grain of sand into the vastness of this place

How blessed am I to see all this beauty today, to ponder the width and depth of all God has made and to see its power, depth, and glory

It’s amazing that we have just begun to explore this space around us

Our ships have sailed out across the solar system

Our feet have walked upon the dusty surface of the moon

Our eyes have looked out across nearly 14 billion light years of space and seen to near the beginning of all we know that is

But God knows infinitely more

I wonder about our future here on this planet, can we somehow overcome our frailties?

Will our species grow more compassionate and loving towards each other, so we don’t mess up our chances for survival or a good outcome

For we are self-centered creatures, prone to greed and war. We have learned many amazing things, but have failed to solve the most difficult problems of our times

Our God looks down from the heavens above. He sees and knows what lies within us and offers us the wisdom of His Word and Spirit; the grace and mercy of His salvation, He freely gives

Will we truly acknowledge Him and go before Him in faith this day?

Oh, the beauty and wonder of God’s creation, what an incredible place He has made

Our Earth was formed by the strength and will of His hands and we were brought forth here, as His children

Our problems, which we have created, are rising above our heads. They threaten are very existence, but with God, we have the promise of a future

When we connect with Him, the creator of all that is, we will see and know that every good answer resides in Him.  11/30/20

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Shine Gods Light…

In the same way, let your light shine before everyone, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Give thanks to the Lord our God, lift up praises unto His name, for He is continually good and loving towards us

We have been given this life.

As like the sun we rise in our morning. By the grace of God, we shine in brightness at our noon hour, yet eventually we come to the end of our day and set below the horizon, and there, all our life shines forth like the color of a magical sunset

Beautiful and mysterious are our lives, Each one is a gift to be treasured, an opportunity to reflect the love and brilliance of our creator

Never dim the light that God has put in you. Don’t shade it because of doubts or fear. Allow as many particles of His light as possible to shine through you, so that the light of His love and truth can encourage others

We are living spirits cast in earthen clay, designed by a blueprint called by our name. A marvelous collection of matter and energy interacts within us during our lifetime, it helps make us who we are

Give thanks to our God for this opportunity to live. May we always give Him praise and our blessing for this incredible gift

For no matter what may happen along our path through life, whether it is for our good or is seemingly bad, all that matters is that He gets the glory.

For the sum of everything created is far less amazing than our glorious creator

Give thanks, fill your life with a spirit of thanksgiving, for you are alive in this time and this place

Our God, who has known you since the beginning of time, brought you here. Why? That is for you to find out

We all must work out our own path towards salvation. The quality of our faith must be forged through our own relationship with God

What we do with the light of His Spirit through the words and truth that He reveals unto us, is to shine forth His light into a darkened world

So that there might be hope where there once was no hope and that love might abound, where only hate and anger once ruled. So that goodness and mercy might break down the walls of doubt, injustice, and corruption; and above all, that God might be magnified and His glory revealed

Life is truly an amazing adventure. It is much more than it seems

For after God shines His light upon us, we are changed. The life that we thought we had before fades before His brilliance and we begin to see anew the incredibly good and beautiful reason for life

Go before your God and praise Him. Pray a new prayer to Him this day

Soak in the light of His life, so that you may shine forth His light and goodness to all the world around you  11/25/2021

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Thanksgiving Offering

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. Psalm 100:4

Consider this day, what you should offer your God. What would be an acceptable gift, for one so great and mighty

What could He possibly need?

For God created all the heavens and the earth. He owns it all, there is nothing that is not His

All the world we live in lies within the palm of His hand. It is His creation. There’s not a single atom within this planet He does not own. All that live upon it were born from His will

He gave breath and life to all who dwell here, both plant and animal, microbe, and fungi

The God of all made the stars that dwell in the sky, He crafted their forms and gave rise to their clusters. He moved His arm and they swirled into galaxies, the courses they take were charted by Him from the beginning. Our God owns them all

What could we offer such a mighty God, who owns each of our lives, who gave us our breath, our life, our body, our heart, and our soul?

He has blessed us with our life, may we revere Him all of our days

In beauty and in death, in triumph and in our struggles, through health and during illness, with our richness and in our want, He stands with us, as our maker and our God

How could we not give thanks for the goodness of His creation and for all the things that He has blessed us with throughout our lives

What is life if we don’t recognize His place in the order of things?

We have riches and opportunities available that we have not seen yet. We have His Word and His Spirit to direct us so that we might live in all fullness of life

We have our families and friends and a great multitude of believers all around us, who He gave to us

They bless us, and He gives us many opportunities to bless them, so that love would abound. Yet, God’s love surpasses all

For He gave us hope in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. In Him He provided the map that leads off to eternity so that we might dwell with God forever

He Himself has given us this all. Should we not give to Him by His own example?

Give thanks and live out His gift of love that flows through you with all your mind, body, soul, and strength. It is our only true means of offering something of value to Him.   9/8/2021

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The Wonder of Water

All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place from where streams come, there they return again. Ecc 1:6

There is something beautiful about watching a river flow into the sea. To see them, born in mountains high and distant, rushing into the vastness of the oceans of our earth

What stories could those waters tell?

How many lives did they touch along the way?

Who thanked the river for the countless blessings it gave as it crossed their land?

Water is a miracle. It is the magic substance that all of life depends on, the stuff that we are made of

Earth is set apart from everything else we see in the universe by its water. It’s what makes this planet full of an abundance of life

Water is the solution that allows us to exist. All the millions of processes happening in us every second, occur only because of its incredible qualities

Its chemical properties are amazingly varied and unique. Water dissolves, transports, adheres, oxidizes, reduces, blends, and mixes. It flows, floats in the air, and becomes like a rock when it’s cold

It can gently wash the dust from a leaf, or, split solid rock and wear down mountains

On Earth it is ever present and life giving. All of life relies on its life sustaining properties

God has created an incredible world for us to live in. He has made this watery place filled with great abundance. It exists in a perfect balance of temperature, gravity, and mix of elements that ebb and flow, supporting this miracle we call life

Give thanks, be in awe of this wonder created by His hands. consider the wonder of water and its beauty; the power of the ocean when a storm has stirred it, when it creates mountainous waves of awesome power

Remember the beauty of a waterfall cascading over cliffs, the roar of rapids in a river at flood stage; the towering summits of thunderstorms white against the sky that pour flooding torrents of rainfall upon the land beneath

How beautiful to watch a river meet the sea, to observe it completing a cycle that gives life to all it touches

How distressing then, is it to see scarcity and pollution. Of lack, that has caused great suffering across this world

To see the flash floods and rising seas that threaten so many, or to hear about pollution that we have dumped into our precious waters; poison that has stricken many who have no choice in the matter

All these tragedies are of our own making, caused by a warming climate and the runaway waste of industry. Propagated by selfish and cost centered decisions that value wealth above our health

Water, one of God’s most miraculous substances is being defiled and altered

As we raise the earths temperature and reduce the quality of our waters, we place all life into increasing peril

God has made us responsible for what we do here within His glorious creation. It is up to us to clean up our waste and give honor to Him and regard all that dwells within His world

Consider, this day, what we are doing to our waters. Thank God for the wonder of its existence, then make a difference with your life.  11/12/2021