Today’s scripture: Psalm 139:13-18 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Carla Peck):
One of my favorite Christmas greetings this year was a note from a dear friend announcing the birth of Aleta’s calf at the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key, Florida! The lovely video clip below of mother and calf together on the day of birth has been an amazing illustration to me of God’s beauty in this world, in spite of the dropping temperatures and lack of sunshine here in Indiana.
Dolphins can swim right away, but their steering ability needs some work. Their dorsal fin, which provides stability in the water, is floppy when a baby is born and straightens in a few hours. Aleta expertly guided the baby around the lagoon. Periodically the baby even appears to surf on Aleta’s chest. Out in the Gulf, a pod of wild dolphins swam in the vicinity for quite some time after the baby’s birth.
Sometimes we may feel like a calf whose steering ability needs some work. Take a moment and imagine yourself in the lagoon, the sun shining above, God guiding you through the lagoon and adoring you like the mother of a newborn, with angels hovering above considering only your well-being. Today’s poetic psalm reminds us that God created each of us in love, fearfully and wonderfully made.
When Jesus was born, that gave the whole world reason to celebrate and worship. When you were born, it gave God a reason to celebrate. As we evaluate our successes and failures over the past year and prepare for the fresh start of a new year, perhaps it will help us to remember that the single most important thing is that we are all children of God, that God created our inmost being, and the unconditional love that God has for each child.
How would our perception of the world and ourselves change if each day during the new year we thought of ourselves and others as being fearfully and wonderfully made by God?
Thought for the day: God, my heart is filled with worship and adoration to you for the gift of salvation that you gave to me through the birth of Jesus Christ. In the coming new year, help me focus on you. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.
We’re pleased to announce that our very first book of devotionals — entitled Quench! refreshing devotionals by gay, trans, and affirming Christians — is now available! It’s 100 meditations from the very best of Be Still and Know. More info at the new Found Pearl Press website; also available from Amazon.com.