DEVOTION: The Gift of Creation ~ by Shirley Corder

When I consider 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, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:3-5)

Some years ago, my husband and I sat in our campsite in Africa, miles from civilization, and stared in awe at the night sky. The sky seemed darker, the stars brighter and far more numerous than when we looked up from our home in the city. I knew that, according to people who study the heavens, there are over a hundred billion stars in our galaxy alone—and new ones developing all the time. How can I begin to relate to the God behind such creation?

Genesis 1:27 tells me that when God created human beings, He made them to be like himself. There is no way my finite mind can comprehend anything as vast as God’s creation, yet I do share one similarity. I share His desire to create.

My friend, a potter, turns lumps of clay into beautiful pots and ornaments. The carpenter creates elegant pieces of furniture and delicate trophies. The artist captures scenes of beauty on canvas, while the musician turns notes and rhythms into magnificent sounds. But we as writers use words to create stories, ballads and inspirational articles with the power to transport the reader into another world.

The magnitude of God’s creation exceeds our wildest imaginations, yet when He made us in His image, He gave us a little touch of an amazing gift—the gift of creation. I once heard a comment along the lines, The talents we have are God’s gifts to us. What we do with them are our gifts to Him.

So fellow wordsmiths, when we sit down to write, let’s keep our task in proportion. We’re not working. We’re creating. We’re using the words God gives us, but will the finished product bring pleasure and glory to Him?

Pray with me?  Loving Creator God, when I look at the night sky I catch a fleeting glimpse of your eternal Kingdom. Thank You for the creative gift of writing that you have given me. As I work on my projects today, help me to remember I'm following your example. May my writing, in some tiny way, reflect your glory and show your love for the people you created. Amen.

How clearly the sky reveals God's glory! How plainly it shows what he has done!

(Psalms 19:1 GNB)

OVER TO YOU: What gift will you create for God today?

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband, Rob. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on her time in the cancer valley.

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Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, or at  RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook.  

DEVOTION: Declaring His Glory - Kathi Macias

The heavens declare the glory of God… (Psalm 19:1).

            Though I had picked up a few verses of scripture along the way, because I wasn’t raised in a Christian home I had never spent any actual time studying or memorizing the Bible. In fact, I often confused Bible verses with other familiar sayings and axioms. (I honestly thought “cleanliness is next to godliness” was in the Bible!)
            When I became a believer on July 5, 1974, however, I set out on a quest to learn about this bestselling book of all time, authored by the Creator Himself. The very first chapter I studied and memorized was Psalm 19 because that’s what was being discussed in my first-ever adult Sunday school class. I was awestruck at the majesty of the words, as well as their far-reaching implications. If the heavens really do declare the glory of God, then mankind is most certainly without excuse for not serving Him. What a mind-blowing revelation that was after spending twenty-six years ignoring the One who held my very life in His hands!
            Even now I consider how many of my friends and family members are racing toward eternity without having given a thought to the Judge of the universe, before whom they will soon stand to give an account. Will they be asked to justify their actions, to explain their sins, to show that their “good deeds” have outweighed the bad? I don’t believe so. But I do believe they will have to answer for why they rejected the One whose glory is declared in the heavens and who paid the supreme price to extend the offer of forgiveness and restored relationship to any who would receive it.
            And for that question, sadly, there will be no answer, no excuse, no second chance.
            Today, when we look into the heavens and see God’s glory openly declared, let’s pray together that others around us will also look heavenward and catch a glimpse of that same glory—in the skies, yes, but also in our lives. Let’s pray too that they will then feel drawn to come to us and ask about the One whose glory shines through us. For God didn’t extend His heavenly glory so we might keep it to ourselves, but rather that we might share it with everyone whose heart is being drawn by the Father.
            May we ever declare His glory, even as the heavens above us!

Kathi Macias is a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother—as well as an “occasional radio host” and an award-winning author of more than thirty books, including her popular international Extreme Devotion fiction series from New Hope Publishers. Thank you for sharing your devotions with us through this column, Kathi.