The Psalms: Week Three

This past Sunday, Jeff's message was on Psalm 19:1-6. You can listen to it here.

Elohim = God of all creation

We are sitting on a ball suspended in midair rotating at 1,000 miles per hour, rotating around a ball of fire 1.6 million times larger than us at a speed of 67,000 miles per hour and don't really think about it. We don't even feel the affects of the speed of rotation, unlike when we ride the teacups at Disney World (or the Batman roller coaster at Six Flags for the more adventurous type).

God's done all of this and we don't give him the honor and glory he deserves. We take all we see for granted and don't even notice God in his creation. We even fall asleep talking to him sometimes.

"Worship is the intentional turning of the mind to God and ascribing to God all of the greatness and goodness and glory that belongs to him." -Dallas Willard

You can worship anywhere at anytime with anyone. It is all about focusing the mind/noticing.

Mindlessness keeps us from noticing/tuning in to God. "Stop and smell the roses" is a well-known saying. Think about the simplicity of the statement. A rose is something you have to intentionally focus on in order to fully appreciate and enjoy it. You may glance at a rose and notice it's color. But to get the full sense of the rose you have to get close to it, put your nose up to the bloom, and breathe in its fragrance. Without consciously engaging the senses, you cannot truly experience a rose.

When we give of ourselves and our resources we are worshiping God.

When was the last time in following God that you felt a sense of wonder or amazement?

Intentionally turn your mind to God. Tuning in to God and worshiping eliminates despair (worries and stress).

Habakkuk 3:17-18 "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
(Sounds kind of like our vegetable garden this year...) Remembering who God is minimizes our issues and their hold on us.


This was such a powerful and convicting message. Especially the description of our planet and its movements. I really don't ever think about what is happening to sustain life on earth. I don't think about how, if gravity was just a little more or less we wouldn't exist, or if the earth's axis tilted just a little more one way or the other there'd be no life, or if we were a little closer or farther from the sun it'd be too hot or cold for life, and all of the infinitesimal differences that would have prohibited life on our planet. When I do stop to consider these things, it blows my mind. For more scientific data, please read The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel. It was an amazing read, but my mind cannot hold all of the actual numbers and research. I really appreciated the reminder.

I do love the beauty of creation. I am definitely guilty of not noticing it more often than not. And the fact that God created it in spite of my obliviousness or neglect of noticing is incredible. A side note: yesterday I was looking at the celosia I planted around our tree. They were looking wilted because it hadn't rained and I hadn't watered them (I'm a bad gardener). It was especially noticeable because the flowers are colorful spikes that were sort of hunched over. Last night it rained and this morning they were all pointed straight up again. It was as if they were praising God for his provision. I could stand to be more like my flowers. My application for the week is to notice God's creation and give him the praise he deserves.