Heart to Heart
July always starts with a bang, as we celebrate our country’s birthday on July 4th. This year marks 249 years since Independence Day in 1776. That means next year will be 250 years since the United States was born as a nation. If this year has a bang on the 4th, imagine what next year will be like.
When someone has a birthday that ends with a “5” or a “0”, we call those “special birthdays.” Diana and I are looking forward to some vacation days in mid-July that will allow us to journey north to Canada, where we will help her mom celebrate her 95th birthday. Reaching that mark is quite the accomplishment, and we look forward to being there to celebrate her “special birthday.”
Of course, not everyone is into big celebrations. Some try to deflect all that celebratory energy by stating, “I’m just one day older than I was yesterday.” Therefore, it’s no big deal, right?
But have you thought about the gift that a single day of life is? Every new day is a gift of His goodness & grace. As the sun rises, He fills the day with His unfailing, steadfast love. His mercies are new every morning. How great is the love lavished on us by Christ.
Psalm 104 begins by declaring, “let all that I am praise the LORD!” The eyes of the psalmist are on “the LORD my God” and His greatness. He pictures the Creator stretching out the starry curtain of the heavens, with the clouds as His chariot, the winds as His messengers and flames of fire as His servant. Wonder and awe are expressed at how the LORD caused the mountains to rise and the valleys to sink, and how the flood waters covered the earth, but then at God’s command, the waters fled to their rightful place.
The psalmist describes how the desert places and high rocky mountains, the wildflowers & grasses, supply food for livestock and plants for the people to use. The trees of the LORD are well cared for, and the birds make their nests amongst them. This makes me think of that hidden waterfall and God’s flower garden on the mountainside, which some of us hikers saw a few weeks back. “High in the mountains live the wild goats, and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.” Think of the goats and pikas in our own Beartooth Mtns).
All of these things together, signal the gift of another day. “May the glory of the LORD continue forever!” The LORD takes pleasure in all He made... Including you – made in His image; a masterpiece of His creation, with plans for your life that include many good things (Ephesians 2:10). God delights in you, and celebrates each milestone with you, including the birthdays.
So happy 4th America! And may we join the psalmist in declaring, “let all that I am praise the LORD” – the One who made it all!
Onward, upward, for Christ’s glory (Phil.3:14) - Pastor Adriaan & Diana <><