Thursday, May 17, 2018

Today’s Scripture Reading  |  Psalm 104:24–34, 35b

O Lord, how manifold are your works!
   In wisdom you have made them all;
   the earth is full of your creatures.
Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
   creeping things innumerable are there,
   living things both small and great.
There go the ships,
   and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.

These all look to you
   to give them their food in due season;
when you give to them, they gather it up;
   when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
   when you take away their breath, they die
   and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
   and you renew the face of the ground.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
   may the Lord rejoice in his works—
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
   who touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
   for I rejoice in the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord! (NRSV)

Reflection
“How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all.” On spring days like this when things are starting to come back after a winter of sleep, I am reminded of just how incredible the Lord’s works are. With wisdom God made you and me, and with wisdom God made the tree that loses its leaves and buds new life each April. Creation—which we are a part of—moves, shakes, and blooms with the care bestowed upon it by its creator. The Lord has to provide for not only for you and me, but also for the birds that need food and the cacti in the desert that cannot have too much water. Every detail is done with such “wisdom” that when we spend time in God’s majesty, we are reminded of just how small we really are. It is easy to become selfish in what we need; let us always be reminded that God is caring for not only humans but for the whole of creation.

There is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that I love: “Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.” Let us always be “satisfied with good things” that come from our Father.

Prayer
Lord, I pray that you humble me this day. As I walk to where I am going, nudge my heart to stop and take in just how much you are doing without my knowledge. When I feel that I am not heard on this day, may my beholding the workings of your creation remind me of just how much you are in the fabric of my life. Amen.

Written by Ashley Elskus, Director, Center for Life and Learning

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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