May 29, 2018
I designed you with a need for beauty. Refresh yourself today in the beauty of My creation. The earth is Mine, and everything in it—the world and all who live in it—were created for My glory. Praise Me for the majesty of the mountains, the quiet gurgling of a brook, the chirping of a songbird, and the thunderous roar of the ocean. Drink in the magnificence of My glory reflected all around you. Every star and planet in the galaxy is held in place by My almighty hand. The moon marks off the seasons and the sun knows exactly when to rise and set. I paint every breathtaking sunrise and every glorious sunset. I orchestrate the thunder and the lightning and drench the earth with showers. The sea and everything in it sings My praise. Every creature on earth participates in a symphony of worship to Me, the Lord and King. Come join in the chorus of praise as it crescendos around the world. Raise your voice! Sing the song of praise that I composed for you to sing. Honor and majesty surround Me; strength and beauty are in My Sanctuary.—Jesus1
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Nature is a magnificent source of inspiration. God’s creation is a constant and amazing proof of His power and design. Not only is nature, in its many forms, breathtakingly beautiful, it also showcases God’s power and His love for humankind. Nature is a wonderful source from which to draw inspiration, as God’s divine inspiration can be seen in the work of His hands.
The majesty of creation is an ever-present reminder that the God who made everything is sovereign and more than capable of caring for every burden, fear, worry, and prayer that we entrust to Him. When we are reminded of that great truth, we can more easily cast our cares on God,2 which can result in a lightening of our spirits and a sense of inspiration and hope for the future.—Peter Amsterdam
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Thank the Lord for the beauties of God’s creation, and the quietness where you can hear the voice of the Lord so clearly.
Thank You, Lord, for all Your wonderful creation and these beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It’s good if the sunset of a life can be as beautiful as the sunsets of God’s creation. It would be wonderful if we could die as beautifully as the day—as beautifully and as gracefully and as quietly.
“Their line has gone out into all of the earth, and their words to the end of the world. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.”3 The psalmist is referring to the voice of God’s creation and the sun, stars, and moon. His creations praise the Lord! “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.”4 Praise the Lord for God’s creation! It all speaks to us of the Lord.—David Brandt Berg
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Worship should be part of our conversation with God throughout our day. When we look at God’s creation, a mother with a baby, the stars in the night sky, when we think about the Lord, we can give honor, praise, and thanksgiving to the Lord for His wonderful works, for what He’s done and who He is. When we meditate on His Word, when we think of the blessings He has bestowed upon us, the mercy He’s shown us, the grace He’s given us, when we pray and seek Him, these are all times we can worship Him.
The more we verbalize who God is and what He’s done, the more present He becomes in every aspect of our daily lives. When we are regularly acknowledging His love, compassion, mercy, kindness, and justice, we embrace these virtues ourselves and are more likely to strive to emulate them in our interactions with others. When we praise Him for His power, His presence, His omniscience, it reminds us that He is always here, that He knows everything about us, that He created us, and that He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Remembering this can strengthen our resolve to do our best to live in accordance with His Word, to treat others with love, and to do to others as we want them to do to us.—Peter Amsterdam
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Have you stopped to take a good look around you lately? … I do not know about you, but I certainly enjoy every once in a while just stopping right where I am and taking a good look at the hills that are all around me. It is just a beautiful, beautiful area to live in.
My husband and I have lived in many different places, and it always thrills me when we are in a place where I can see the mountains and the hills. I think often of the first two verses in Psalm 121 that say, “I will lift my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
When I see the hills all around me, I am reminded of the greatness of God’s creation. To think that He just spoke it into existence, that is far beyond anything I could imagine or comprehend, but it is a reminder of the greatness of God. The Psalmist seems to have been thinking the same thing that I think when I look at the beauty of creation around me—“My help comes from the same Lord that was able to create all of this.” That gives me peace. That gives me comfort. That gives me hope and joy.
Next time you are feeling really down and out, take a good look around you. Take a moment to stop and lift your eyes and look at the beauty… Thank the Lord for it, and for eyes to see it with. Rejoice, because your help comes from the almighty Creator who created all of the beautiful scenery around you—whether it is the mountains, the hills, the lakes, the sky, the beautiful tulips coming up in your backyard—He made it all! Rejoice in that, and thank Him for it!—Ann Shorb5
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Here’s a beautiful video with the song “Creation Calls,” by Brian Doerksen (run time 06:22):
Published on Anchor May 2018. Read by Jason Lawrence. Music by Michael Dooley.
1 Becky Harling, The 30-Day Praise Challenge (David C. Cook, 2013). For scriptures referenced in this passage, see Psalm 24:1; 89:5, 11; 145:10; 148:2–5; 96:6.
2 1 Peter 5:7.
3 Psalm 19:3–4.
4 Psalm 19:1–3.
5 http://www.ccesonline.com/beautyofcreation.htm
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