Thought for the Day - Tuesday 21 April

Thought for the Day – Tuesday 21^st April

Today’s reading is Psalm 104 and it is a long one but try reading it in an excited manner!

Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honour and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent, you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, you make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind, you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers. You set the earth on its foundations, so that it shall never be shaken. You cover it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At your rebuke they flee; at the sound of your thunder they take to flight. They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys to the place that you appointed for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth. You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills, giving drink to every wild animal;

the wild asses quench their thirst. By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.  You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart. The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. In them the birds build their nests; the stork has its home in the fir trees. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the coneys. You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. You make darkness, and it is night,
when all the animals of the forest come creeping out. The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. When the sun rises, they withdraw and lie down in their dens. People go out to their work and to their labour until the evening. O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. These all look to you to give them their food in due season; when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground. May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works - who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord!

When I lived and taught in Clackmannanshire known as the ‘Wee County’, we were always being reminded by our county motto to ‘Look aboot ye!’

Today in this time of shielding or isolation looking about us seems to be at those who live with us; at four walls; if lucky a garden or certainly on our daily walks people coming towards us or the horrendous amount of litter which blights our community!

Of course hopefully, we are also looking about us to our neighbours and those in need of food or a friendly voice at the end of the phone.  

However, as the days run into each other and we forget what day of the week it actually is, I think we can so easily forget to look beyond our little world of isolation or looking about us for those people coming the other way to avoid on our walks.

Let’s change our focus today and ‘Look aboot us’ at God’s world and this changing season.

Having reflected on the words of this Psalm just take some time today to ‘look aboot ye’ at all the wonderful changes that are taking place around us in God’s world – the world has not stopped because we have been forced to stay indoors.  

So, ‘Look aboot ye’ and see the blossom flourishing, the trees budding and leafing, new rabbits and birds appearing and be heartened and joyful and praise God for his beautiful world. 

As Psalm 104 says God created such a beautiful world so ‘Praise the Lord!’

Prayer

Loving Lord,

We thank and praise you for your wonderful creation. As we go about our restricted lives remind us to ‘look aboot us’ and see that the world is still turning, that new life is still blossoming around us, that there are signs that you are faithfully moving in the world you created – your presence constantly with us. May we remember those who cannot feel your presence at this time, those who cannot venture far to look about themselves at this time and be encouraged to reach out to them – even in the simplest of ways.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.