Psalm 148:1, 3-4 (NIV)
Praise the Lord …
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens …
Let’s join with the highest heavens and praise our God.
Good morning, Lord. In the words of an old hymn, “In my heart there rings a melody with heaven’s harmony” (Elton Roth, 1924). I hum along with the sun, moon and stars … their ancient tune playing today and every day, a song of praise to You, Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Hallelujah, amen.
In the beginning, stars sang.
Job 38:4, 6-7 (NIV)
Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
… On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
while the morning stars sang together …
Now it’s our turn.
Good morning, Lord. The lights in the heavens sing at Your command. Music matters. Put a song of joy in my heart. Teach me the melody of the stars. I want to join all the works of Your hands in a chorus of praise.
“Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.”
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
Paraphrased by Willam H. Draper, 1919
Good morning, Lord. Spring — with its blue skies, warm breezes and flowering trees — makes my heart sing. Let my voice join with that of the sun, moon and stars in praise to You, our glorious Maker.
From space, our big world looks small.
Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV)
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
God sees us. God sees me. And He cares.
Good morning, Lord. Who am I that You care for me? Out of the vastness of space, why do You notice? All of mankind, I can understand. Even the astronauts streaking away from earth — worthy of Your watch-care. But little ol’ me? You tend to every detail of my life. I am amazed … and grateful.
The amazing images from Artemis II
display the glory and knowledge of God.
Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
God’s glory needs no words.
Good morning, Lord. The photos taken from space are amazing — God’s-eye views we earthly bodies seldom see. You see it all: the backside of every moon, the stars up close and personal, galaxies beyond the dark. Even our finest telescopes give us only a glimpse. Surely, the whole universe displays Your glory.
Luke 23:34 (NIV)
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,
for they do not know what they are doing.”
This is forgiveness, then and now.
For you and me.
Good morning, Lord. Forgive me my willful sins, my unintended sins, my hidden sins, my forgotten sins. Thank You for mercy and grace. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sake.
A crowd played an important role in the crucifixion.
Mark 15:12-14 (NIV)
“What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them. “Crucify him!” they shouted. “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
Had I been there, would I have followed the crowd? I hope not.
Good morning, Lord. Forgive me for mindlessly following the crowd. Teach me to be quick to listen to more than one side of the story, slow to speak without seeking Your wisdom and slow to join a bandwagon of angry people (James 1:19). Let my words and thoughts be pleasing — not to the crowd around me, but to You (Psalm 19:14).
Peter, a faithful disciple of Christ, went wobbly in the face of danger.
Matthew 26:71-72 (ESV)
… another servant girl saw him [Peter], and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”
I can’t criticize Peter. In his place, I might have done the same. I’ve been known to soft-pedal my devotion to Christ. I might tell someone I’m religious or mention that I go to church. But sometimes I’m slow to say, “Jesus is my Lord and Savior.”
Good morning, Lord. I want folks to know that You are my God, but sometimes I hold back. I don’t want to start an argument, or maybe I’m not in the mood for a long conversation. Forgive me.
Holy Spirit, provide the right words at the right time, and grant me the courage to use them.
Even as He hung on the cross, folks mocked Jesus.
Luke 23:35 (NLT)
The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
I’d like to think I wouldn’t have been one of them.
Good morning, Lord. Forgive me for the times I tell You what to do, how to run the world. Silly me, thinking I know better than the One who set my planet in motion. Even when things don’t make sense, I know that You see the big picture — over time, involving everyone everywhere — as compared to my tiny sliver. Teach me to trust Your plan, ever and always.
“Were you there when
they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me
to tremble, tremble, tremble.”
African-American Spiritual
I’m in my 8th decade of Easter celebrations. It’s tempting to take the crucifixion and resurrection for granted. I’ve been through Holy Week so many times, it seems ho-hum. Sometimes that attitude causes me to tremble.
Good morning, Lord. Your death and resurrection … it’s the most significant series of events since creation. Easter should be a drop-to-my-knees-in-awe occasion. Instead, I get caught up in the details of colored eggs, flowers and a fancy meal. Forgive me. Renew my spirit of astonishment, fill my soul with gratitude and joy.
