Thoughts for the Day

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 make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills,
giving drink to every wild animal......

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.

(New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

This wonderful psalm reminds us that God is the Creator and Provider. He gives us this world, the sun and the rain, and animals and plants for our use. But as any gardener or farmer knows we are the stewards of the things He gives us. It is up to us to use the things of this world responsibily, and to use our gifts to nuture and grow what we eat; to husband our water resources; to cut down on those things that are pollutants; and to work with God in caring for our world.

For too long we, in the developed countries, have taken what we had for granted, and been too long in realising that we have not cared for our world properly. Each one of us should be responsible for what we have been given, each changing the way we live and use the world's resources, so that others may benefit and God's beautiful world will be there for others long after we have left.

Sunday 23rd August, follow up thoughts

Lord God,
we thank you for our world,
and all that it contains:
the variety of its animals;
the beauty of its landscape;
the majesty of trees;
and the sound and feel of clean water.
We thank you for the colours, textures, and smells
found in nature,
and for the sun, wind and rain.
Help us never to forget that we are stewards
of all this heritage.
Amen.