Image from psalmspirit.com
Hear the devotional read here: https://bit.ly/3ftiypi
24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great. 26 There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. 27 These all look to you to give them their food in due season; 28 when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground. 31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works— 32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke. 33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. 35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:24-34, 35b New Revised Standard Version Bible)
Happy Thursday to you, ConCafe Family. Be anew on this day, dear Reader by casting your sadness, woes, history into the hands of Jesus. It is He who can take the dirt and muck thrown on us, and make it a healing mud that allows new sight with which to see that what we thought we were facing is not all that bad now! Jesus does that and so much more, if we would but let Him! May our prayers continue for all who are healing and recovering. Prayers for one another. Prayers for us as we seek God during this time of worship and reflection.
We have had some interesting weather in these parts! We have had lots of rain (Thanks be to God!) and other rain-related products we'd much rather do without, like flooding, flash or nonflash, and tornados! Even as late as today our grandson in the Valley said, "It's pretty bad down here in the Valley; the kind of weather I've never seen here!" And about a week ago, under similar circumstances, his sister, Eliana was super worried about the weather and started singing to our daughter Carli, a song that I written for our Carli! It's a simple song that says, "Who takes care of Carli in the middle of the night? Who takes care of Carli when she's had a fright? Who takes care of Carli even when she's alright? Jesus does." And Eliana was using her own name and singing it in faith. The psalmist did that too; songs of comfort and trust, as well as songs of lament and woe; for he knew that in God he had a ready audience of One Who cares and acts on our behalf. The song we heard read right now is a song of praise and thanksgiving. Many are the works of God, in fact, too numerous to count; all made from God's wisdom, including the creatures and all of creation, "both small and great." Having recently to the shore, he had seen the ships and the beasts from the deep that were called the Leviathan; all creatures receive from God their food in due season. God's hand opens and food is shared. God hides His face and the creation gets worried. When breath fades, creatures die and they return to the dust; but when God sends forth His Spirit, they are created; and the face of the earth is renewed. And in the good and the bad, the psalmist sings, "May the glory of the Lord endure forever and may God rejoice in what He has made. God is involved in all of creation and creation reacts to God's presence; and we? We sing God's praises as long as we have life and as long as we have being. May all that we say, sing, and pray, be pleasing to God, for this makes us glad. Sinners, he sings, this is a time to get right with God or be "consumed from the earth; and the wicked will be no more." We bless and praise the Lord!
Again, notice the role and work of the Holy Spirit. It is God moving in and around us, in and through us, and sometimes, even in spite of us; God's will is to be done on the earth as it is in Heaven; and all that God does, deserves God's praise. As I walked through our supermarket here in town, I was immediately drawn to the Seasonal Aisle, the one where the relevant merchandise gets put there to sell; and the crowds in that store along with these brightly colored summer toys and bubbles, candy and towels, all spoke of the joy that many have as summer approaches at full speed. Even the crowds are sensing that joy and are drawn to buy and rejoice in the things that will make this a bright summer unlike the one last year. It is as if the face of the earth has indeed been renewed. Though the virus is still among us, those vaccinated are immune from the ravages that others sadly, did not escape; and the joy of grandparents finally seeing little ones for the first time in months, if not a year, fills all hearts with glee. This, dear friends, is the work of God's Holy Spirit moving among and through us; creation is still happening and earth is glad as we should be also.
PRAYER: Loving Father, come into all hearts with the power to renew and refresh. Erase the pain and hurt that has harbored in the secret places for too long; remove them and fill instead our hearts with joy and love. May each day bring us close to You and two each other; this is our prayer, in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen,
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a part of the renewal of the earth by smiling and laughing more!
Receive my joy and love,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
