Devotional Thoughts Based on the Glory to God Hymnal

Nehemiah 9:6

And Ezra said, “You are the Lord, you alone, have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them.. To all of them you give life, and the host of heaven worships you.”

Nehemiah 9:6

Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander, was an Irish woman, interested in poetry and writing, and the wife of a rector. She is the author of the hymn, All Things Bright and Beautiful. She wrote this hymn and others as a means of teaching children articles of The Apostles’ Creed. The article inspiring this hymn is “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”.

(Refrain) All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing color; God made their tiny wings. (Refrain)

The purple-headed mountain, the river running by,
The sunset, and the morning that brightens up the sky; (Refrain)

The cold wind in the winter, the pleasant summer sun
The ripe fruits in the garden, God made them every one. (Refrain)

God gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty, who has made all things well.” (Refrain)

Mrs. Alexander’s words make Ezra’s reflections on God and His creation more understandable. Children can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch creation and thus can be filled with awe and wonder just as adults when surveying the beauty, wonder and extensiveness of creation.

Prayer

Creator God, we thank You for the beauty and wonder of Your creation. Even though we may be adults, we can be filled with awe as we walk on a beach with waves lapping upon our bare feet, as we gaze at the shapes of puffy white clouds and the countless stars in the sky, as we smell and taste fresh apples and peaches picked from trees in a garden, and as we hear songbirds heralding the dawn. Thank You, God! Amen.