Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

 

Creation Praising the Glory of God Job 38:1–41  V.4a,7: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?... when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?”  The Bible tells us that the heavens – the sun, moon, clouds, stars, planets, and the sky above – declare God’s glory. They are continually declaring God’s glory as if they are glorifying God in His heavenly sanctuary. God’s glory refers to all the evidence of God’s greatness. It refers to what gives Him importance. Anyone who sees creation can only conclude one thing, that God is the most important being in all of the universe. God’s glory is continually on display, day to day and night to night. Creation gives testimony to God’s majesty and His power. Whenever and wherever people are on this planet, creation communicates the amazing truth that there is a Creator. We all know that stars twinkle at night and shine through the day. NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program, through Scientific research, discovered that stars also sing all night long and all day too. They sing out their praises to the Creator who placed them in the heavens. Not only do the stars above sing but so do the whales in the ocean. The whole earth is in a concert that never ends. Whether it is the clapping of the tress, the roar of the mountains, the cries of the animals, the chirping of the birds, and the echoes of the ocean, all creation sings God’s praise because He created it all.  In today’s passage, we see that instead of answering Job’s questions and sympathizing with his misfortunes, the Lord bombarded him with a barrage of nearly 70 unanswerable questions, about the visible and invisible world. He examined his knowledge of animate and inanimate objects. Job was rebuked by the Lord for questioning God’s sovereign will and ways. Every question from the Lord to Job only served to demonstrate the sovereign authority, wisdom, and power of God Almighty – who is Creator and Ruler of all. St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian Catholic friar and preacher, could often be heard preaching to the birds, urging them to praise God. Those who walked by his hut could also hear faint melodies coming from within. He wrote the text “Song of All Creatures,” later paraphrased into the beloved hymn “All Creatures of our God and King”, that we sing today. As this hymn reminds us, let us all lift up our voices with all of creation and sing praises to God, who is our King. May our hearts delight in knowing that the Lord takes pleasure in our praise. May we sing together with the morning stars and shout for joy with all the heavenly beings and bring Him honor and glory!

PRAYER Creator God, we thank You for the beautiful universe You have created. Your work is glorious and beyond our understanding. Enable us to join the heavenly chorus in an earthly symphony as we burst forth in harmony with the sounds of nature. Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.  Amen.   Thought for the day All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your voice and with us sing Alleluia, Alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beam, Thou silver moon with softer gleam, O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Neethi Prasad w/o Rev. Christopher P. Daniel Jerusalem MTC, Connecticut