Today we begin a new series of devotionals using the Scripture Index of Glory to God Hymns, Psalms and Spiritual Songs as a guide. The Scriptural Index is found on pages 979-988.

Beginning with Genesis 1, there are six musical selections with allusions to that first chapter of the Bible. For Genesis 1:1, there are eight selections with allusions to that first chapter and first verse.

This series of devotionals will take us up to Advent and the “Sweeter Than Honey,” the Advent/Christmas /Epiphany Cookbook Devotional. Then, we will resume the series on January 7, 2020, the day after Epiphany.

The plan is to examine many, but not all of the scriptures listed. Where there has been only one scripture verse from a book, like Ezra 3:11 and Esther 4:14, then we will certainly deal with those verses. We will point out the scriptural allusion. For the purpose of this devotional you will be best served to have your Bible handy and the hymn for the day from Glory to God hymnal will be included in the devotion, since everyone may not have a copy of the hymnal at home or wherever you are when doing your daily devotional.

READ: Genesis 1

READ or SING: Hymn 23 God, You Spin the Whirling Planets

Let’s take a look at those six selections with references to Genesis 1! They are:

Hymn 6 I Bind unto Myself Today
Hymn 22 God of the Sparrow
Hymn 34 Bless the Lord, My Soul and Being!
Hymn 455 Listen to the Word that God Has Spoken
Hymn 679 Let the Whole Creation Cry
and Hymn 23 God, You Spin the Whirling Planets, the focus of today’s devotional.

God, You Spin the Whirling Planets is a fairly contemporary hymn having been written by Jane Parker Huber in 1980. It appeared in The Presbyterian Hymnal Hymns, Psalms and Spiritual Songs in 1990. In that hymnbook the text was set to the tune: Austrian Hymn (my preference). It was also included in Glory to God, published in 2013. The hymn was set to a different tune: Pleading Savior.

The first verse of the hymn speaks of God creating planets, filling the seas, spreading the plain, molding the mountains, fashioning blossoms, calling forth sunshine, wind and rain. The hymn also mentions that we are created in God’s image.

In the second and third verses there are references to our having distorted God’s image and how we can be recreated.

Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life has gone, behold a new life has begun.

II Corinthians 5:17

Prayer

O God, as we begin this new series of devotionals, we pray that we may become better acquainted with Your Word and with the hymnody of the Church. Bless us so that we may grow more and more in the likeness of Jesus Christ; for it is in His name that we pray. Amen.