Deacon Carla E. Banks

Psalm 19:1-4 NRSV

The heavens are telling the glory of God: and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech; and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words: their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

How Great Thou Art 

I love to travel. Whenever I have the opportunity to go somewhere new I spend hours researching my destination trying to see what it has to offer. I get excited thinking about my trip and hope that I won’t be disappointed when I finally arrive. Whenever I share pictures of my trips I’m often asked the same question: where are the people? That’s because I generally take picture after picture of the beauty of one of God’s first creations: the earth.

Nothing manmade can compare to the beauty of nature. If we take the time we can find God’s signature scrawled across the canvas of the earth everywhere we look. The beauty of a valley surrounded by snowcapped mountains, the roar of the ocean’s waves crashing along the shore, the sound of the sweet music made by waterfalls as they tumble for miles down the side of a mountain or the feeling on our cheek from the warmth of the sun in the middle of winter all proclaim without words the glory of God. In response a fitting response is:

Oh Lord my God
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works
Thy hands have made
I see the stars
I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout
The universe displayed

Then sings my soul
My Saviour, God, to Thee
How great thou art
How great thou art
Then sings my soul
My Saviour, God, to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art

Prayer 

God we thank You for revealing Yourself in the beauty of Your creation. Forgive us for those times when we neglected to take care of the world that You love.

Thought for the day 

Where in nature will I see God today?