Bible Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 19:1-61 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. (Psalm 19:1-6) “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:33) All my children have now entered adulthood or are now “adulting” as they like to say. It has been interesting to see how they take on new challenges or deal with new experiences as they transition to a more independent life. Not everything is perfect and at times it is clear that more growing up is yet to come. But what I love the most is when I get to witness them make decisions on their own that demonstrate a sense of compassion, patience, kindness, self-control…. the very things that I have tried to imprint into them as a reflection of being a follower of Christ (although certainly not perfectly on my behalf). And there is something beautiful about that. Psalm 19 describes how creation reveals the beauty of its Creator – the “heavens declare the glory of God [and] proclaim the work of his hands.”. The prophet Jeremiah speaks of a time when God will do his good work on the hearts and minds of his people. They will become the “work of his hands” and “declare [his] glory”. This is the saving work of grace on our lives. The Apostle Paul reminds us that we cannot boast in our own works because this is a “gift of God…. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works…” (from Ephesians 2:8-10)Like the heavens and the skies, our lives are to reveal God’s beauty and grace. And like the sun, may we never deprive anyone from the warmth of God’s love for them. Heavenly Father, would you continue to do your good handiwork in my life. Shape my heart and my mind to reflect your love and beauty. May I be an open canvas for your artistry. Teach me to do the good works that you created me to do so that the people I encounter might come to know you like I do. Amen.