Devotional Thoughts

I wanted to share something from my devotion of a few nights ago.

Psalm 102: 25-27 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

The first thing that struck me about this passage was how succinctly it summarizes God's plan for the earth. Genesis to Revelation: God created everything, He redeemed it, and He will reign forever.

Maybe it's my architecture training, but I really like the image of God laying the "foundations of the earth." Foundations don't move, and it reminds me that God has created and ordered and sustains the earth. Later in Ps 104:5, it says that God "set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved." Surrounded by people predicting that our actions will make the earth uninhabitable for future generations, it is a comfort, certainly, to remember that God holds the future of the earth, ultimately, not us.

I was also very struck by all the imagery brought to mind by verse 26. That all our works are as dirty rags, that Christ has removed from us our sins, and He has clothed us in His righteousness. What an amazing thing it will be to finally shed our sins once and for all! I know the image appears many times in Scripture, but the passage I referenced in my Bible (in keeping with the Gen-Rev theme) was Rev 21:1-4, specifically the image of Christ's bride, "beautifully dressed for her husband" (v2) and "the old order of things has passed away" (v4). BAck in Psalm 102, it says that the old things will be discarded. Unneeded, unneccessary, they will be done away with and they will no more be a part of us.

The last image, v27, also sent me to Revelation chapter 21:6. Jesus claims and reminds us that He is "the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." I was just struck by the peace in the knowledge that our God is unchanging, and eternal. That is our Rock, in a world always changing.

I just wanted to share that with you. I know I've read that passage in Psalms at least a dozen times, but this time it just really jumped out at me.

We leave for Cuzco and Machu Pichu tomorrow (Monday) morning, so the blog will be silent for a few days. But when we get back, we should definitely have some great photos to share!