A sky full of praise
by Emma Strelan
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Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above (Psalm 148:1).
One of my favourite things about the Book of Psalms is knowing that for thousands of years, people have been singing the same ones that I read today. I can almost feel a collective echo of centuries of praise resounding when I read each line. Knowing that not just all of creation but all of history has been praising God fills me with such awe and joy.
I’ve been staying at my parents’ place for a few days while my housemate gets over COVID. Since leaving home, I’ve realised just how different my parents’ spot in the hills is to mine near the city. Here, nature seems to merge much more seamlessly with the houses and streets.
I was sitting outside in my parents’ backyard to write my final devotion for the week. As I read through this psalm about the heavens praising the Lord, I was hit by how loud all the birds above me were. There was a constant noise of different bird calls surrounding me. I thought about how cool it is that while I read the psalm, I literally get to experience creation praising God from the heights above.
And when I looked up, I could see the trees reaching up to the sky and swaying gently. Not altogether different from how I like to praise God in Sunday worship.
What a blessing it is that if we are to just stop and be still for a moment, it is not that difficult to hear and see the praises of creation towards God.
Another thing I find interesting is that the higher we get above the earth, the more in awe of God’s creation we tend to be. Just think about how amazing standing at the top of a mountain or looking out an airplane window is. Whenever I’m in those places, I really can’t help but praise God.
Part of God’s expert design is the fact that nature gives us both an example of and a reason to praise him. This is something I encourage you not to take for granted this week.
God, all of creation sings your praise, and so shall I. Thank you for the masterful way you created the world. You made it to demonstrate your mighty power but also your creative heart. Help me appreciate your creation around me in whatever form it takes and praise you as boldly as the birds and the trees do every day. Amen.
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