The Bible – The Good News Translation
13 From the sky you send rain on the hills, and the earth is filled with
your blessings.
14 You make grass grow for the cattle and plants for human beings to use, so
that they can grow their crops
15 and produce wine to make them happy, olive oil to make them cheerful, and
bread to give them strength.
Thoughts:
I am blessed to enjoy a short vacation this week, so as I
meditate on this scripture I can hear the ocean waves beating against the
shoreline, I can overlook the vastness of the ocean, the beauty of the land as
it tapers off into the ocean waters (the beach), and the shrubbery that is
specific to this area and tolerant of the salt sprays from the ocean. In
addition to its beauty and the amazement of my wonderful God, I am overwhelmed
by the stubbornness of man who is forced to obey government rules and
regulations concerning our beaches and adjacent properties, and they are forced
to cooperate with the rules of nature/God by planting the right kind of shrubs
for the brutal salt sprays, yet we are challenged to convince these same men that
there is a God who loves them even more than the waters and the earth. Isn’t it
interesting that God is patient with these smart men in their ignorance and
rejection, and He will forgive them at their request when coming to Him for
salvation? David also recognized the awesomeness of all that surrounded him, so
he expressed the inner joy and appreciation in the value of the rain, and the
lush growth of plants around him. These plants were not just another pesky bush
that he had to complain about trimming, but David recognized that had it not
been for God providing these specific plants, he and others, like you and I,
would be cheated from valuable things like wine, olive oil and bread. Friends
it is not our responsibility to prove to non-believers that God exist, it is
our duty to God to boast about the power of God that saved us from our sin, and
that all the many things around them us were created and strategically placed because
of the wonder, majesty, power and awesome love of our Provider, our maker, our
Savior and our Lord. Please be reminded that we can save no one. We merely
express what’s in our heart. God will use that little, to accomplish much forHis ultimate glory. I am reminded in another scripture verse where Jesus said
that if His disciples kept quiet the very stones will cry out/sing praise (Luke
19:40). We are not challenged to find words to praise our kids and grand-kids,
why are we so challenged to sing the praises of our Creator? Could it be that our
relationship with God is not where it needs to be? Draw close to God dear
friend, so that He can draw near to you. He loves You and wants to be involved
in your life.
Prayer:
Lord, I praise You for who You are, and for the beauty of all
that You have provided for us to enjoy and benefit from. You not only made us
in Your wonderful image, but You followed through by providing everything we
need to survive, and even things to enhance our worship of You. You are awesomeMighty God! Thank You for being my Master and yet my friend. I honor You today
and I thank You for providing everything around me to enjoy, both for peace of
mind and rejuvenation but also for survival through the foods that I eat and
the air that I breathe. As David reminds me, this earth is filled with Your
blessings and Your awesome touch. Thank you for being my God, my Lord and my
Savior. I adore You heavenly Father. May You be praised by every living soul this
day, especially those that may meditate on this devotional. I praise You, and ask
all this, in Your most holy and awesome name, Jesus my Lord, AMEN!
NOTE: If you have been
challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak
with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or
encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words
underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote
the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to
read or pray.
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