Great Plains Daily Devotional for 6/8/2023: Psalm 33:1-9

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
    Praise befits the upright.
Praise the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made
    and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;
    he put the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him,
for he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings,  
God made their glowing colors, and made their tiny wings. 
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, 
All things wise and wonderful: the Lord God made them all. 

(UMC Hymnal, #147) 

The whip-poor-will perched on the peak of the roof. Its lovely song greeted the lightning sky. Thanks be to God! 

As the sun crept a bit higher two hens emerged from their coop, first the neat dark one, followed by the fluffy, yellow one. They walked in order down the ramp within the bounds of the outdoor learning site. Thanks be to God! 

Next a small bird with very spindly legs scampered diagonally across the lanes of the track. Its head darted left to right to left to right as it took in the new day. Thanks be to God! 

It was a clear, fresh morning. The sparkling air simply proclaimed God’s power and glory. What a great God we have! At the same time, all the evidence pointed to a God who creates and cares for small things and tiny details. God cares about the little things, about the medium items, and about the great and overwhelming parts of all creation and of every day. 

In the quiet of those morning minutes of walking God was so very near to me. 

The birds, the rising sun, the clear and fresh air all whispered of that Presence. My heart overflowed with gratitude to for God’s attention to the innumerable parts and details of creation. Peace took over my being and I was ready for whatever the day ahead would hold. 

God is so mighty and glorious and amazing! Even in that greatness God loves and cares about all God has made. God’s deepest desire must be that God's love be shared throughout creation. As we are filled with the loveliness of the world God has made we are made ready to proclaim that love to those who inhabit the world. What a special task; what a sacred calling. 

Thanks be to God! 

-- Rev. Dianne Tombaugh, retired elder
tombaugh.dimeta53@gmail.com

Prayer for Reflection