The Upper Room Devotion for Thursday, Janurary 25, 2024, was written by Ken Claar of Idaho.
Scripture
1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed. 6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Psalm 95:1-7 NRSV
Author's Thoughts
I've always wished I could have some plants in my mobile home, but I never seem to have the energy or the ability to make that happen. But a few weeks ago a friend gave me a beautiful coleaus plant in a small pot. The leaves were magenta, and the plant brightened the window area of my living room. Later my friend came to visit and said the plant needed to be trimmed. As he trimmed it, he handed me two of the small leaf sections he had cut off. He said that if I put them in a glass of water, they would form roots, and then I could plant them. After a week or so I looked at the glass; to my astonishment, new roots filled it! I planted them in potting soil, and now I have three beautiful coleaus plants that are growing vigorously.
My experience with these plants made me think of the beauty God has placed all around us. Who can doubt God's creation when such wonders abound! Genesis 1:12 tells of the beginning of God's creative beauty: "And God saw that it was good." And Jesus said, "Even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these" (lk. 12:27). God created the world with boundless beauty. Such beauty reminds us that God is present and will care for us all our days.
Pastor Anthony's Thoughts
Friends,
Plants are truly amazing and they offer us a wonderful metaphor for how to approach our spiritual development. While the part we see is beautiful, fragrant, or supplies food, it is the part we don't see that is crucial. Plants establish firm roots to supply the nutrients they need to grow. In like fashion, we must have a deeply rooted relationship with Christ, to provide us the spiritual nutients we need to mature as people of faith. While our outward actions are important, it is the inward work we do that helps us establish a solid foundation.
Author's Prayer
Dear Lord, help us not to neglect seeing the beauty in your creation. In the name of Jesus, the Lily of the Valley. Amen.
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