Quiet Moments

Read Psalm 148: 1-14

Praise the Lord, O heavens! Praise him from the skies! Praise him, all his angels, all the armies of heaven. Praise him, sun and moon, and all you twinkling stars. Praise him, skies above. Praise him, vapors high above the clouds.

Psalm 148:1-4 (TLB)

Joann Wilson lives in Nebraska. Sunrise walks are an important spiritual and physical exercise for her. Sometimes Joann wakes before dawn with the sense that the Creator has something to show her. And she's never disappointed as she steps out under fathomless stars and into the calm, pre-dawn air.

Often she gives voice to the spontaneous and heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving that rises within her. Joann understands how the beauty and magnitude of God's creation could elicit the psalmist's cry: "Sun and moon, praise God! All of you bright stars, praise God!" When a guiding star or clear crescent moon adorns the night sky, Joann is especially glad to have been invited to witness God's handiwork.

In the stillness of these early-morning moments, Joann senses God's presence. She becomes aware of the calm that surrounds her in this place on this planet at this hour, and she is grateful to God for leading her to this moment. With her soul stilled, she gives praise and asks for guidance in her Christian walk.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for quiet moments in the beauty of your creation. Open our hearts to your promptings to be still before you, in Jesus' name. Amen