God’s Great Delight

 

¹ Praise the Lord.^[a]

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
³ He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
⁴ He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.

⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.
⁶ The Lord sustains the humble
    but casts the wicked to the ground.

⁷ Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
    make music to our God on the harp.

⁸ He covers the sky with clouds;
    he supplies the earth with rain
    and makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹ He provides food for the cattle    and for the young ravens when they call.  Psalm 147:1-9

The Lord says, “You are precious and honored in my sight. . . . Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”

- Isaiah 43:4-5 (NIV)
 

My wife’s cousin, Isabelle, lives on top of a massive coastal dune. Over the years, despite the sandy conditions and with the help of lots of careful toil and compost, she has established a veritable botanical garden of flowering plants. She delights in showing people her garden and, with obvious pride, will tell you the name of each plant, where it came from, and when it flowers. Some of her plants were gifts from friends; some were bought from rare-plant nurseries; many were grown from cuttings she collected throughout the country. A few were rescued from trash heaps! Isabelle’s delight in her beloved flowers is a joy to behold.

Today’s scripture reminds us that we are like precious plants in God’s garden. Our Creator, who “determines the numbers of the stars and calls them each by name,” knows our names and everything about us. Some of us God brought out of terrible situations; some God found in unexpected places; others God gathered from all parts of the earth. God rejoices when we bear flowers or fruit, no matter how insignificant it may seem. We are of great value to God, and God delights in us. The Author

Gerald McCann (Western Cape, South Africa) - from The Upper Room

Thought for the Day

Are you using God's given talents to bloom in His garden?

Prayer

Thank you, God, for seeing something valuable in our lives and calling us to be your own. Amen.

 

Prayer focus  Those who feel insignificant