God Made Them All

Hello, I'm Xochitl Dixon. I'm sharing a family moment in today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread, God Made Them All. My three-year-old son Xavier squeezed my hand as we entered the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. Pointing to a life-size sculpture of a humpback whale suspended from the ceiling, he said, enormous. His wide-eyed joy continued as we explored each exhibit.

We laughed as the otters splish-splashed during feeding time. We stood in silence in front of a large glass aquarium window mesmerized by the golden brown jellyfish dancing in the electric blue water. God made every creature in the ocean, I said, just like he made you and me.

Xavier whispered, wow. In Psalm 104, the psalmist acknowledged God's abounding creation and sang, in wisdom, you made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. He declared, there is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number, living things both large and small. He proclaimed God's generous and satisfying provision for all he created. He also affirmed that God has determined the days of each one's existence. We can join the psalmist in singing this declaration of devotion, I will sing to the Lord all my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Every creature that exists from the big to the small can lead us to praise because God made them all.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Psalm 104 verses 24 to 35. How many are your works, Lord? In wisdom you made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number, living things both large and small.

There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you form to frolic there, all creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up. When you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.

When you hide your face, they are terrified. When you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send 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.

He who looks at the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him as I rejoice in the Lord. But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the Lord, my soul. Praise the Lord. Let's pray. All powerful creator and sustainer of creatures big and small, you are worthy of all our praise. Thanks for being so creative and designing the amazing creatures in the land and in the sea. Please help us appreciate your creativity and give us wisdom so that we can be good stewards who care for all you've made. In Jesus name. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries.