If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. –II Chronicles 7:14

A forest fire is a destructive force. It burns everything in its path. After a fire, one wonders if the land will ever be of value again. However, go back to the same area months later and there will be new growth, rejuvenating the land and everything living in it.

So it is with a nation. Murder, robbery, and other sinful acts are present throughout the land. However, if our country turns to the Lord, and acknowledges Him, then will our country heal and grow.

Dear Jesus, we are sorry for the wrong things that we have done. Please forgive us, and heal our land. Amen.

[1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
[2] And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
[3] And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2)

Every year, our family goes to a condo in the Smokies that is owned by a family member. The shows, attractions, and food are a great part of the vacation, but what is even more helpful is the rest from our everyday routine. It relaxes us, and we always return to Alabama recharged and ready to take on what happens the rest of the year. Even God knew the value of rest. Once He completed the task of creating the world and what is in it, He rested on the seventh day, providing us with a good example of how to rest and relax.

Thank you, God, for rest and relaxation. Amen.

[26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
[27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
[28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
[29] And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
[30] And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
[31] And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

When my son was born, I was amazed at how someone so small could be such a big part of a person’s life. Holding that baby in my arms for the first time made me feel complete and happy. As my son has grown, my wife and I love him even more. We would do anything to help that little man. As humans, we have been created by God in His image, and so the love that we feel for our family is a reflection of His love and concern for us. May we always remember in whose image we were created.

Thank you, God, for creating us in your image. May our love for each other be a reflection of your almighty love for us. Amen.

[24] And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
[25] And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

The cat on our porch was hungry, thin, and had just had kittens. Looking at her, we knew we had to act quickly to save her life. Some food and milk made her feel better. We wanted to find out whose cat she was, so we placed signs around the neighborhood. No one ever claimed her, so we made her our own. She is now a healthy, happy cat, who does not even look like the same cat that appeared on our porch four years ago. All land creatures, including cats, were created by God on the sixth day of creation and were made in their own unique way.

Thank you, God, for all the wonderful land animals that you have made. Amen.

[20] And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
[21] And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
[22] And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
[23] And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

My son’s kindergarten class recently went on a trip to the Tennessee Aquarium. One of the highlights of the trip was their visit to the penguin exhibit. The penguins swam, walked on the rocks in their exhibit, and played with the kids through the glass. The children laughed with delight at the funny antics of the penguins, and at the same time were amazed by their awesome abilities. Penguins are just one of the many birds, fish, and other sea and air creatures created by God on the fifth day of Creation.

Thank you, Jesus, for all the wonderful sea and air creatures that you made. Amen.

[14] And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
[15] And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
[16] And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
[17] And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
[18] And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
[19] And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Alabama was hit by major tornadoes on April 27, 2011. The F4 tornado that came through Madison County caused the power grid to be disrupted to the point that there was no electricity in Huntsville and Madison County for almost a week. People living in the city had not seen the stars at night for many years due to the bright lights of the big city. These people could now see those stars for the several nights there was no electricity. Seeing those natural lights made us appreciate all the ways that the Lord had provided light for the world, both physically and spiritually. Having the light of the Lord helped us through the tragic situation that had happened in our community by helping us to be able to see the way forward.

Dear Lord, thank you for the lights you have provided us to light our way, both by night and day. Amen.

[9] And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto 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 called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
[11] And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
[12] And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
[13] And the evening and the morning were the third day.

–Genesis 1:9-13

I planted the tomato plants, and watered them. I went back, day after day, for over a week. At the end of that week, on my sixth birthday, I went to my grandmother, in whose garden the plants were planted. I asked her why the tomato plants had not grown tomatoes. My grandmother explained that tomatoes, like children, take time to grow, and that I should be patient. I waited all summer, as blossoms turned to tiny green tomatoes that grew and grew. Finally, one day in late June, there was a tomato that was ripe enough to pick. As I enjoyed that tomato with some salt and pepper, I realized that good things truly come to those who wait.

Dear Lord, thanks for reminding us that it takes time for all good things to grow. Amen.

[6] And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
[7] And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
[8] And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Water is important–without it, we cannot live. Doctors tell us that we need 6-8 glasses of water daily to stay properly hydrated. It is no surprise, then, that the second item created by God is water. Water, like the light created on the first day, is vital for humans and animals to be able to survive.

Dear Lord, thank you for the wonderful water. Thanks for giving us that refreshing resource for our daily lives. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.