Psalm 95: 2-6 (NRSV) God, the Maker of Every Beautiful and Unbeautiful Thing
“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed. O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”
Devotion
The idea that God created us is one that comes up a lot in church. However, it is an idea that I often overlook or don’t think too deeply about. I realized this as I was reading Psalm 95: 2-6.
As stated in the Psalm, God created all of the earth: the mountains, the sea, the deserts. He created everything we see. He creates sunsets, breathtaking views, and sunny days. While I thought about this, it all seemed right to me. He is a God of good qualities, like love and forgiveness, so it makes sense that God created all of these beautiful things.
However, something that I never really focused on before is the fact that God also created things such as the depths of the earth mentioned in verse 4. God creates the things we would classify as “unbeautiful” too. He creates thunderstorms, dark caves, and the dirt beneath our feet. That is something that I found to be very eye opening. God creates everything we see, not just the beautiful things.
This leads us back to the idea that God created us. He creates our loving, kind qualities and joyful moments, and he also creates our difficult moments and qualities that we aren’t the most proud of. He created it all, which means that he loves it all. God loves every part of us so much, because he created every part of us. This is such a freeing and powerful thing to remember.
Sometimes when I take a moment to stop and look at a really pretty sunset, I think, “Wow, God is amazing. He created something as beautiful and fantastic as this and he still created me.” While I will still be thinking about this next time I see a sunset, I think I will also try to think about this next time I see a thunderstorm.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for creating me and everything around me. Thank you for creating all of the beautiful and the “unbeautiful” things. As I am about to enter a new week, help me to see your presence and your hand in everything, not just the seemingly beautiful things, so that I can fully appreciate all of your creation. It is in your name I pray, Amen.
Emma Staeger