God’s Amazing Creation

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled God's Amazing Creation, was written by Dave Brannon. What began as a simple spring nature walk turned into something special as my wife and I trekked along our hometown's Grand River. We noticed some familiar friends on a log in the rippling water, five or six large turtles basking in the sun. Sue and I smiled at the amazing sight of these reptiles, which we hadn't seen for many months. We were delighted that they were back, and we celebrated a moment of joy in God's magnificent creation. God took Job on quite a nature walk in Job 38. The troubled man needed an answer from his Creator about his situation, and what he saw in his journey with God through his creation provided the encouragement he needed. Imagine Job's amazement as God reminded him of his grand design of the world, giving Job a firsthand explanation of the natural world, saying, Who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? He got a geography lesson regarding God's imposed limitations of the seas. The Creator continued to inform Job about the light he created, snow he produces, and rain he provides to make things grow. Job even heard about the constellations from the one who flung them into space. Finally, Job responded with, I know that you can do all things. As we experience the natural world, may we stand in awe of our wise and wonderful Creator. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Job 38 verses 1 and 4-18. Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said, Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?

Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know. Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set? Or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who shut up the seas behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness? When I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place? When I said, This far you may come, and no farther.

Here is where your proud waves halt. Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? The earth takes shape like clay under a seal.

Its features stand out like those of a garment. The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken. Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?

Tell me if you know all this. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you for creating such a magnificent, diverse, and fascinating world that we can enjoy. May we take the time to stop and see the beauty in all that you've made.

Who but you could have created such a beautiful world? Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening. I'm Stephen and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.