Psalm 104:31-33
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. English Standard Version (ESV)
Yesterday was a beautiful, you might say glorious day and evening in North Carolina. Sunshine, blue skies, mild temperatures and a gentle breeze with just a hint of fall in the error. School starting is also a sign of fall.
When we lived in Huntley IL, a neighbor had a poplar tree that was always the first tree in the area to turn color. The golden leaves would be evident when the kids started back to school. It was a hint of the beautiful fall colors that are to come. I look forward to the full colors of autumn, it is a time when God's handiwork is on full display. Today's verses are a reminder of God's glory and also a reminder that as we appreciate His creation, whether it be clear blue skies, fall colors or waves crashing on the sea shore, it is God who has ordained all of them, and He has ordained that we praise Him for it.
John Piper quoted Jonathan Edwards in relation to these verses:
"The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. . . . [These] are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the ocean."
The next time you stand in awe of something in nature, in God's creation, may we be reminded that these "are but shadows but God is the substance", God is who is the author and creator of all of these glorious things.
I'll close with another one of my favorite quotes from Jonathan Edwards, ""As grace increases the field opens more and more to a distant view, until the soul is swallowed up with the vastness of the object, and the person is astonished to think how much it becomes him to love his God and this glorious Redeemer that has so loved man."
In Christ,
Mike
Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Psalm 104:31-34The Message (MSG)
31-32 The glory of God—let it last forever!
Let God enjoy his creation!
He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake,
points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt.
33-35 Oh, let me sing to God all my life long,
sing hymns to my God as long as I live!
Oh, let my song please him;
I'm so pleased to be singing to God.
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