The Upper Room Daily Devotional in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Friday, 1 June 2018 "Caring for Creation" by Nancy Allman-Bull (Ohio) Psalm 104:10-28

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The Upper Room Daily Devotional in Nashville, Tennessee,  United States for Friday, 1 June 2018 "Caring for Creation" by Nancy Allman-Bull (Ohio) Psalm 104:10-28
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow 
or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. (Matthew 6:26 (NIV))
One Sunday morning I found myself looking out at the backyard, which was cloaked in a layer of snow. As I stood enjoying the beautiful wintry scene, I noticed that a large hemlock had dropped its tiny cones — delivering seeds to the ground where rabbits, squirrels, and birds delighted in nature’s gift to them.
After church, I again stopped to take in the snowy landscape that always draws my heart and mind to God and creation. A fresh layer of snow had fallen, and on top of the snow — under the hemlock — lay more tiny cones. It was as if God had shaken the tree branches to provide more food for the critters. The scene was a perfect image of the verse from Matthew above. I smiled as I thought of the satisfaction I get from putting out bird seed, fruit, and water all year around. 
I am God’s hands and feet caring for creation, fulfilling the role I believe God plans for us all.
Watching the wildlife in my backyard, I’m envious of their carefree nature. Truly they neither sow nor reap; nor do they worry. God feeds them — both directly through nature and indirectly through people like you and me who derive satisfaction from caring for God’s creatures, great and small.
TODAY'S PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the privilege of caring for your creation. Amen.
TODAY'S READING: Psalm 104:10 You make springs gush forth in the vadis;
they flow between the hills,
11 supplying water to all the wild animals;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 On their banks the birds of the air build their nests;
among the branches they sing.
13 You water the mountains from your palace;
the earth is satisfied with how you provide —
14 You grow grass for the cattle;
and for people you grow the plants they need
to bring forth bread from the earth,
15 wine that gladdens the human heart,
oil to make faces glow,
and food to sustain their strength.
16 Adonai’s trees are satisfied —
the cedars of the L’vanon, which he has planted.
17 In them sparrows build their nests,
while storks live in the fir trees.
18 For the wild goats there are the high mountains,
while the coneys find refuge in the rocks.
19 You made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to set.
20 You bring darkness, and it is night,
the time when all forest animals prowl.
21 The young lions roar after their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, they slink away
and lie down to rest in their dens;
23 while people go out to their work,
laboring on till evening.
24 What variety there is in your works, Adonai!
How many [of them there are]!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creations.
25 Look at the sea, so great, so wide!
It teems with countless creatures,
living beings, both large and small.
26 The ships are there, sailing to and fro;
Livyatan, which you formed to play there.
27 All of them look to you
to give them their food when they need it.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are well satisfied. (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Loving God means loving what God has created.
PRAYER FOCUS: To be a better steward of creation
READ MORE: More From Nancy Allman-Bull BY NANCY ALLMAN-BULL (OHIO)
RELATED DEVOTIONALS: CARING FOR CREATION
Writing and submitting my devotion turned into an unplanned Bible study. I knew what I wanted to say because my experience made me in awe of our Creator and it had been rattling around in my mind for several years. But as part of the submission process, you’re expected to provide suggestions for further reading, a prayer focus, and a thought for the day. Hmmmm, I didn’t have all of those things ready; I just wanted to share my experience! For weeks, I used a concordance and several Bible translations searching for appropriate verses or phrases to include and inspire others. Naturally, I was looking up topics like birds, animals, creation, stewardship, provision and dominion. I kept getting drawn in to further searches and studies because those are all the things that feed my faith.
In January of 2000, after having been away from church for years, I was baptized and publicly accepted Christ as my Savior. In early 2002, in a very unexpected turn in my solitary and self-centered life, I found myself with my first companion pet — a cat named Mojo. My Story began with Mojo. As I was falling more for Christ, I was also falling more for Mojo. I, and others, realized that my heart was softening, especially toward animals.
Over the course of the next few years, I truly became like a new creation and I believe that my calling is to be a voice for animals. Because of my faith, I am an animal rights activist and a committed vegan. I do all that I can to defend animals and the environment. It may sound silly, but I’m convinced God used Mojo as an instrument. In the time since, God has blessed me with more rescue pets who keep me smiling at my journey and the lessons I can learn from animals.
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