Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 148:1-6
Ps 148:1-6
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded, and they were created. He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.
Matt 6:28-30
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Yesterday I pulled into a place that had some huge azalea bushes that were all in full bloom. The sun was shining brightly on them, and they looked beautiful! As we look at a gorgeous sunset or sunrise, we are amazed at their beauty. It is God who changes the color of the leaves and paints the forest in such wondrous beauty. His handiwork never ceases telling of his greatness and it is all around us every single day. God is the source of all beauty, in heaven and on earth.
If God can take a scraggly old bush and clothe it with such beauty, just imagine what he can do with your life and mine! He can take a forest that has been ravaged by wildfire and in just a few short years, he can paint it with foliage that is so beautiful and breathtaking that people drive hundreds of miles just to see it. No matter how big of a mess our lives may be at times, he can fill us with a beauty that will amaze others, because they see Jesus living in us.
What God will do with you (and me) depends on our faith in him and our trust in Jesus Christ as his Son and as our Redeemer. Ruth trusted Boaz to redeem her and Naomi from their poverty. By the grace of God, Boaz did his part and Ruth, the Moabites woman, is now named in the lineage of Jesus. When we trust God and make ourselves available to him, there is no limit as to what he can do in us.
O Lord God, giver of life and all good things, I thank you for your love for me and all you have done for me. You have blessed me in more ways than I can count, and you have given me a wonderful family. Thank you for the love we share. You have blessed me with so many brothers and sisters in your family and you allow me to be an encouragement to them, even as they encourage me. It is so easy for me to take all these things for granted. Help me notice them more fully and to always be thankful and share what you have given to me. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
