Psalm 145:10-13
All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your faithful shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and tell of your power,
to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all his words,
and gracious in all his deeds.
Reflection – Allie Ford
One of my favorite worship songs is “So Will I (100 Billion X)” by Hillsong Worship. If you’ve never heard this song, I highly recommend listening to it as soon as possible. The music beautifully describes God’s diverse and beautiful creation that “exists” to lift up God, and the summary of the song can be narrowed down to these lyrics: “If creation sings Your praises, so will I.”
Walking through nature has always brought me comfort. In a world of imperfections and chaos, the serenity and perfection of nature speaks to God’s glory… but nature cannot actually speak. Spreading God’s word and love is up to us.
The tradition of Lent comes from the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness facing temptation and preparing to serve God. For Jesus, being in the wilderness was necessary. Jesus left ready to fulfill God’s mission in his life. After spending some time in the evidence of God’s glory (nature), Jesus was ready to spread some of God’s glory on his own.
Eventually, we too have to come out of the wilderness. We have to leave the comfort of nature or our homes and face a world that isn’t as peaceful. But, like Jesus, we can leave nature renewed and inspired by God’s praising creation to do some praising of our own.
Our Psalms reading today sings, “All your works praise you, Lord,” and they do! Go outside and see the budding flowers or quiet sunrise or awakening animals. God’s world is beautiful, and God’s good news is even greater. It is so great that we cannot keep silent for long!
And good news: we are not alone in our thanksgiving! Signing up to be a Christian is more than getting eternal life and earthly comfort. Being a Christian gives you a community of believers, an everlasting “kingdom.” In a world of chaos and politics and corruption, God’s dominion will endure, and Christians can sing—extol—God’s praises. Thanks be to God!
Prayer: God, thank you for today. Thank you for the earth around us, the peace that can be found in the wilderness, and the way You can make us feel renewed in You. Please help us to face this day with an attitude of praise. Help us to, like some of your praising people sang, listen and act out these lyrics, “If creation sings Your praises, so will I.” We love you, and we thank you for loving us. Amen.