SEEK DEVOTIONAL

I believe there is a Psalm for every moment of life. Psalms of high praise, of complaint, of battle, of victory, of history lessons, of wisdom, of mourning and loss, of sleepless nights, and of prophecy. There is literally a Psalm where David is thanking the Lord because he pretended to be insane and escaped death because of it. If that doesn’t encourage you that God can be found in any moment of your life, I’m not sure what can.

Joking aside, the beauty of the book we’ve been meditating on is that God doesn’t simply want to occupy a portion of your life; a Sunday morning faith that checks a box and remains unchanged. He wants to be, and He is worthy to be, the Lord of every part of your life. He wants to fill your history with redemption, your future with purpose, and abide with you in the present.

This brings us to our reading for today. Psalm 19 is traditionally read at sunrise, while viewing millions of hues across the visible light spectrum painting the morning canvas with beauty and splendor. As the sun rises and marks another day of life on earth, the fine-tuning of it all is a miracle. The sun is exactly where it needs to be in relation to the earth to cause plants and trees to grow; creating food, oxygen, and evaporating water so that the water cycle may continue. Every aspect of creation declares the glory of God. Creation itself is not asking to be worshiped, but inviting you to worship the King of Kings.

Psalm 8 is meant to be read by the light of the evening, as the stars reveal themselves in the sky. Some of these shining lights are neighboring planets reflecting the sun; others are galaxies with innumerable solar systems that themselves contain billions upon billions of stars and planets. And yet, Isaiah tells us that God measures the entire universe with the width of His hand. The night sky harmonizes with the morning light beckoning to praise Yahweh! 

As I read these Psalms, they fill the entire day, from morning to night with wonder and awe at the Lord of Creation. They also both contain incredible responses to God. These are some of the most heartfelt verses of reflection in all of Scripture:

From Psalm 19:14
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

From Psalm 8:4
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?”

As we approach the final week of Seek First, take some time today to be still and reflect:

• Over the past 14 days, how have you seen the Lord move in your heart?
• Has He answered any of your prayers?
• Do you feel humbled before God? (At this point in a fast, I often feel deeply humbled.)
• Compared to a month ago, how is your thought life and emotional life?
• Are there burdens you need to release to Jesus?

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You are Lord of the heavens and the earth, and You are the Lord of my life. I am thankful for the way You care for creation—it reminds me of how You care for me. Thank You that You are mindful of me, that You see me and love me. Let the words I speak, my thought life, and my decisions bring You joy. In Jesus’ name, amen.