Great Plains Daily Devotional for 10/19/2018

Psalm 104:1-9 

Bless the Lord, O my soul.
    O Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
    wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
    you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
    you ride on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers,
    fire and flame your ministers.

You set the earth on its foundations,
    so that it shall never be shaken.
You cover it with the deep as with a garment;
    the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they flee;
    at the sound of your thunder they take to flight.
They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys
    to the place that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
    so that they might not again cover the earth.

I love the imagery invoked in this scripture.  I imagine God robed in light and stretching the blanket of stars out over the heavens like a tent. 

I sometimes forget how lucky it is that I live in the country.  On any cloudless night I can walk outside my front or back door and see the stars blanketing the night sky. 

When I’ve traveled I've often visited cities where I've found it disorienting to go outside and not be able to see those guiding lights in the atmosphere. 

I’ve heard stories of people who live in cities who suddenly see the night sky in all its glory after years of street lamps obscuring the view.  I can imagine their awe and wonder at such a sight.  When I return home it’s always a comfort to see those orbs in the night sky welcoming me back.  

Bless the Lord, O my soul the author of the Psalm writes.  This is a song of praise to our creator, a great thanksgiving if you will, of all that he does for us and the promises made and that he faithfully keeps those promises.  The absolute pure faith that the writer has in our creator that our God is in control is something I aspire to.  

A God who can create such majesty in both the heavens and the earth, make clouds into chariots, send winds as messengers and fire and flame as ministers surely deserves our songs of praise and thanksgiving. 

Prayer for Reflection

Job 23:1-9, 16-17
Psalm 22:1-15
Hebrews 4:12-16
Mark 10:17-31