First Day of Summer

Psalm 107:8 (CSB) - "Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all humanity."

I was pondering over this devotion for the first day of Summer, and I saw an article and the title was, "Summer Kind of Wonderful". I started thinking about that Bible verse that talks about God's "wonderful works", so I looked it up and realized it was in Psalm 107:8. Then I realized that the exact verse was repeated four times in that Psalm. (107:8, 15, 21, 31) Whenever God says something, it is important. When He says it four times we need to stop and really consider it. I do enjoy summer and began thinking of all the "Summer Kind of Wonderful" things that the Lord gives us. Let us think on some of these things today -

Start by Thinking About The Sun. Of course the first thing I think about in summer is the sun. I really missed the sunshine over the winter. It was cold and I wanted so much for the sun to shine. I think the sun is such a fascinating thing. Only God could have made it. It lights up the whole world and heats up the earth. It helps the crops grow. We can even use it as a power source. 

We can Consider The Fruits and Vegetables. Summer means lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Watermelon is my favorite summertime fruit. We recently had one and I always look forward to biting into that first delicious cold slice of it for the summer. I love getting fresh vegetables too. We have corn on the cob throughout the year but I don't know why it tastes so much better in the summertime. All those summer fruits and vegetables have so many things in them that benefit our health. They each have different vitamins that God made specifically for us for our nutrition.

And We Can’t Forget The Trees and Flowers. Another thing about summer is that everything is in full bloom. The trees are full and green. The flowers are in full bloom. Summer is just a beautiful time of year. The beauty of a green lawn (I love the smell of fresh mown grass), the contrasts of the various colorful flowers. Trees with green leaves, and the Crepe Myrtles in bloom. Such an array of color for our enjoyment. The Bible says in Genesis 1:11-12: “Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” And you know what, I think it is good too.

I Love the Beauty of The Ocean, Ponds, Rivers, and Seas. My wife and I usually try to spend a little time on the beach every year. Watching and walking in the waves on the shore. As the water goes out, my wife loves to find the sea shells that the waves brought up before the next wave comes in. Sometimes we spend time along a river or a stream. The sound of the babbling water is so relaxing. You can't help but think of God and creation when you look at that water and all those creatures that you know it contains. The Bible records in Genesis 1:9-10 – “Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.” 

All of the verses that we quoted from Genesis 1 all end with the phrase, “And God saw that it was good.” What a great reminder as we look forward to Summer. God created it and it is good. Those verses in Psalm 107 say we should be praising God for His works and there's so many of them out there for us to enjoy. God does so many more works than those in just creation but I think it's good to focus on those things once in awhile, especially at the change of seasons. 

Psalm 40:5 reminds us: “Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works

Which You have done…” and in Psalm 74:17 the writer reminds us, “You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.”

So, the question I will leave you with today is, “Will you be praising God for His wonderful works this summer?” 

Prayer: Father, I praise You for Your great Creation. I see that You have created so much for me to enjoy and lead me to worship You. May I spend time today in open praise and worship for the wonder and majesty of all Your works. Amen.