Yesterday, I woke up grumpy. I really didn’t want to be grumpy on my birthday, but I was. I can attribute my grumpiness to our Jack Russell Terriers who needed to go outside at 2:00am and my inability to fall asleep after-wards. Needless to say, when the 6:00am alarm beeped, I was not in the best of moods.
I kissed my love goodbye as he went to work, all the while telling myself, “Be happy it’s your birthday.” With coffee in hand, I sat on the floor of our bedroom and prayed for God to change my mood. In the early morning hours I watched as all of creation awoke. The sun was rising over the lake and I watched a blue heron glide from it’s perch on a rock over to my neighbor’s dock. I counted butterflies on a nearby butterfly bush, and watched a fawn graze in our backyard.
I opened my Jesus Calling devotion book by Sarah Young and turned to the page dated July 30..my birthday. Sara Young”s devotional is written in the first person, as if God himself is speaking directly to the reader. She shares that all of creation exists to remind us of God’s glory. “A magnificent rose, a hauntingly glorious sunset, oceanic splendor-all these things were meant to proclaim My Presence in the world.” Sarah goes on to say on page 221 “Even before you knew Me personally, you responded to My creation with wonder. It is a gift.”
A gift, those words dance in my mind. Today is my birthday and God has given me a gift! I gaze outside again and this time my mood has lifted. As creation wakes up, is imagine the birds flying around with ribbons in their beaks unwrapping my gift today. My grumpy heart has melted away, replaced by a thankful heart. A gift from my Creator is all it took!
I open my bible to the verses cited from this day’s devotional:
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.:
– Psalms 29:2
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory.” -Isaiah 6:3
As I read all of Psalms 29 I can’t help but notice that King David mentions “The voice of the Lord” six times. The voice of the Lord is powerful, over the waters, causes lightening, shakes the desert, breaks trees, and twists oaks. I am reminded of the power of God’s spoken word. God spoke and the whole earth was created. As I gaze out my window, I wonder what that voice sounded like on the day He created earth? Did His voice echo in the void? Was the sound from God’s voice upon Genesis 1:1 a mighty roar or a gentle whisper?
I continue to watch the blue heron and butterflies. In my prayer journal I write “God, I sit in awe of you! All of creation continues on because you spoke and told it to. All of creation will continue until you tell it to do otherwise. I am in awe of your voice.”
David must have felt a similar sense of holy fear and awe. After he writes about “The voice of the Lord” six different times in Psalms Chapter 29, David reminds us that “The Lord sits on His throne forever. The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.”
On the occasion of my 38th birthday, I am reminded of God’s gift to me given by His voice. Just another reason why I love God, all the more!
~April
“May you and I be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” Romans 1:12
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