14th. March. 2022. Daily Devotion.
So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” Genesis 1:7-8
A storm is a massive movement of water from gas to liquid, above to below, sky to earth. It is a key part of a natural cycle we depend on for daily living.
What must God have been thinking when he made something as wondrous as water? It is the only chemical that naturally exists in our atmosphere in all three phases—solid, liquid, and gas. Mountains of solid ice float. Water dissolves almost everything, and it stays cool even under a blazing sun. We live by water in all its forms.
Water also exists in vast quantities as vapor in the atmosphere. Scientists estimate that there are 3.3 quadrillion gallons of water in the atmosphere—enough to cover the entire surface of the Earth with one inch of rain, if condensed. And all of it is recycled 40 times each year, traveling the world in clouds and pouring into lakes and oceans.
Genesis testifies that God created these waters, above and below. The moisture on our tongues, the blood pulsing through us, the sweat that cools us—all these are the work of God.
Water for life, with seasonal rains and snows to keep the earth well-watered and its creatures supplied with food—let’s praise and thank God for all these good things in his wonderful creation.
Dear God, we praise you for your amazing creation. You are all-powerful and Lord over all. Thank you for your care for us in all seasons of life. Amen.
Be to us, O Christ, peace to the troubled mind and home to the wanderer. Be as living water for our cleansing, as the song that soothes our sadness, and as the inward voice that directs all our days. Amen. Divine Service, William E. Orchard, 1919
Lord, every time the tide is high, and the gales blow in, we remember you stilled the storm. Bless those surrounded by the sea, with their lives dictated by tides, their goods and produce dependent on ships finding safe harbour.
Every time the tractor ploughs the field, and the picker gathers the crop, we remember you sow seeds of life. Bless those surrounded by agriculture, with their lives dictated by the seasons, their goods and produce dependent on the weather and the land.
Every time we see a plane in flight and turn our heads to the sky, we remember you made us your children. Bless those who fly, with their lives dictated by the winds and fog, our goods and produce flying through the heavens to find their way to our homes. Amen.
We Pray for the People of Ukraine
God, we pray fervently for the people of Ukraine. The situation they now face is not a new one. The name Ukraine translates to “borderland,” and this nation has been viewed for centuries as just that – a bordering land waiting to be conquered. This nation and its people have seen struggles with Russia for a century, and over 13,000 have already died in the small-scale war that has been raging in the southwestern area of Ukraine since 2014. They are a resilient people who live in a volatile area of the world that has seen regular war and upheaval. Yet Jesus walked the earth in a similar part of the world, plagued by oppression and a ruthless empire. Your word promises that “you keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” We ask that the people of Ukraine may be safe, secure, and that they would know not only peace of earth but your true and unwavering peace. Amen.