I love the imagery of this Psalm. It includes three of my favorite things in nature: the ocean, the rivers, and the mountains. I have often heard people ask others which they prefer, the seaside or the mountains. How could we possibly choose? Both are beautiful and unique!

I try to make at least one trip to the beach each year. My favorite time to go now is Fall. The weather is still warm, but the beaches are much less crowded when children are back in school (unless you happen to hit Fall Break week!). The view and the breeze renew my spirit. It’s hard for me to relax and sit still in my real life, even now that I am retired, but when I’m sitting by the ocean, I can relax and watch and listen to the crashing waves, or watch the sun gradually disappear below the horizon, filling the sky with brilliant colors, and feel at peace with myself and with the world.

The same is true of the mountains. Sitting by the river, just listening to water pour over rocks and the breeze whistle through the trees, is so relaxing for me. When we lived in Middle Tennessee, too far from the mountains for my liking, my work place parking lot was bordered by old, tall pine trees. I often walked out in the afternoon to the sound of the wind whistling through the pine needles and the sweet smell of evergreen. I would pause and begin to leave the stress of the day behind. It wasn’t my beloved Great Smoky Mountains, but the beauty was there.

This verse reminds us to rejoice in God’s creation. Along with oceans, rivers, and mountains, we can sing together praising God and thanking him for giving us a beautiful world in which to live. But first we must be mindful of these gifts. We are not thankful for the things we take for granted and barely notice. Sometime our lives are so rushed and frantic that we are consumed with a to do list and filled with guilt when everything does not get checked. God does not want us to live this way. I hope you can take time to notice, appreciate, and be thankful for the gift of God’s beautiful creation. Be still and listen for the clapping and singing in nature.

Thank you, God, for the beauty of our world. From the mountains to the rivers and oceans, we are surrounded by evidence of Your love for us and Your creation. May we not take it for granted but rather be good stewards of Earth and continually thankful for its many gifts.

Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Pat Scruggs.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Several years ago, I was heading up a USAID project in Southern Africa and I found myself in Mozambique at an agricultural experiment station. The grant I had contained little room for unplanned expenses. But with that grant, we trained more than 15,000 farmers in Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe and greatly improved corn yields for those farmers.

But on this day, I needed to go to another location. I found a minibus going that way, and I paid the equivalent of about $5, and got in. Occupancy should have been twelve, but I counted more than 20 people. It took us 5 hours to go about 130 miles.

I got the seat on the hump next to the driver and had to put my arm around him so I could breathe. The bus was hot, everyone was sweaty, and the smell of the disinfectant used to clean wounds was thick. Many on the bus had bandages on extremities and eyes. But everyone had a smile.

The driver said that just about all the passengers were going to a hospital for surgery or follow-ups, Many made the trip weekly. The road was awful. The potholes were huge and could be more than 4 feet deep. We hit one and had to sit on the edge of the pothole and to wait for the water to evaporate so the engine would start. The temperature climbed past 100..

I was hungry. My breakfast had been gone for hours. In my backpack I had two packets of cookies.. I got a package out, opened it, and then handed them back to the seat behind me. I did the same with the other package. I had just given away all of my food and had kept nothing for me.

Soon there was a tap on my shoulder and a small bag of potato chips to share, some salty crackers followed, and some homemade food and there were always smiles and thank you’s given. Then one of my cookie packets came back with one cookie left in it. The lady behind me took it out and handed it to me. And then the other one came back with one left, and it was handed to me. The kindness brought tears to my eyes.

I have so much to learn. And that day I learned the lesson Mom and Dad tried to teach me. If you put others first, good things will happen.

Dear Lord, help us to remember that practicing generosity is what you expect of all who walk with you. Amen.

This devotion was written by Neal Esh and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

This encounter between Jesus and an invalid man happened at a healing pool, where the man in question had been coming daily for 38 years, waiting his turn for some miracle. He never (apparently) asked for help or tried doing anything except lying there waiting, miserable and self-pitying.

After listening to his excuses, Jesus didn't scold him but commanded him to take up his mat and walk.

We are told in the verse that follows that the man "at once picked up his mat and walked."

How many of us are similar to that man? We lie here in our misery, waiting for someone to help us, but never picking ourselves up and taking action to walk out of our misery, to break that bad habit that we have worn for years, to change directions, to choose a new path.

Jesus can and will help us to overcome our afflictions, but we must change, we must get up and walk away from our hurts, habits, and hangups. Jesus will help, but he expects us to do our part. When we do, like the invalid man, who "at once picked up his mat and walked," we can walk too!

We can walk away from excuses, from self-pity, from fear, with Jesus' help.

If you need Jesus' help in your life, please pray with me…

Dear God, if I have things I need to change in my life, please show me the way. Help me to change my habits and to pick myself up and walk a new way. In Jesus' name we pray. AMEN!

This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Hello, and welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. I’m Grace Jonas, the reader and writer of today’s devotional, which I’ve entitled “Let Heaven and Nature Sing”. Thank you so much for joining me today!

When I was younger, I remember a song from either Vacation Bible School or a Children’s Play containing the lyrics “I’m not gonna let the rocks cry out for me” and “I’m not gonna let the hills bow down for me” in reference to praising God. I remember as a child, these lyrics seemed silly to me, which, even as an adult, they still seem a bit silly. But, not for the reasons you may think.

After all, the lyrics to the well-loved hymn “Joy to the World” contain the lyrics “let every heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and nature sing.” And refers to fields, floods, rocks, hills and plains repeating the sounding joy.

When I was young, I could not put a finger on why I thought the lyrics to that children’s song sounded silly to me, but now analyzing the lyrics to this hymn and this verse hand in hand, I know why that is: there are several hymns and church songs referring to creation singing of God’s love, but specifically in this context when we refer to creation, we refer to beings such as rocks, oceans, and other landmarks. In my mind, I feel this goes to show that while, yes, we shouldn’t let the rocks cry out for us or the hills bow down for us, we should fill the Earth with songs of worship and let all features of God’s wondrous Earth be alive with praise in harmony with our own.

Dear God, while we may believe the only things that can sing your praises are the beings with voices, help us be reminded that there is a beautiful Earth surrounding us that you painstakingly created that we should rejoice and be worship in harmony with. May we always love and appreciate the Earth you have created and fill it with the songs of your praise. In your name, amen.

This devotional was written and read by Grace Jonas.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

When Philip told Nathanael that they had found the Messiah, Nathanael answered with a line that still makes people smile: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

I don't think Nathanael meant it as cruelty, though maybe a bit of snobbery. Nazareth was simply a tiny, unimpressive place close to his own hometown of Cana. It would be a little like someone here in Blount County saying, "Could anyone important really come out of Rockford?" Not hatred. Just skepticism. Familiarity.

And Nathanael did not hide his skepticism.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said, "Here is a genuine Israelite in whom there is no deceit." No guile. No manipulation. No fake spirituality. Nathanael said exactly what he thought, even when he doubted.

Ironically, the passage seems to point us back to Jacob in Genesis 28. Jacob, whose name became Israel, was famous for deception and manipulation. Yet Jesus describes Nathanael as a true Israelite without deceit. In other words, Nathanael stood in sharp contrast to Jacob's old reputation.

And here is what I love most about Nathanael: when evidence suggested he was wrong, he changed his mind.

He did not cling stubbornly to his first impression. He did not double down on skepticism just to protect his pride. When Jesus revealed that He had seen Nathanael under the fig tree, Nathanael responded immediately with faith.

That kind of honesty takes humility.

Some people refuse to question. Others refuse to believe. Nathanael did neither. He spoke honestly about his doubts, but he also remained open to truth.

That may be part of what Jesus meant by "no guile." A heart honest enough to question, and humble enough to change.

Father, you know we can be both blind and stubborn. When we have doubts, encourage us to face them honestly. When we see the truth, support us in living it, even though it demands we change. Keep us in integrity. In Jesus's name, Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Donn King.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

We learn later that this tax collector, was none other than the great disciple, Matthew, who wrote that book of the Bible. But the first thing we need to know as we seek a lesson in today's scripture is how unloved, maybe even hated the tax collectors were in the times when Jesus walked the earth as a man, a teacher, a Jewish rabbi.

Tax collectors worked for the occupying Roman Empire and were mistrusted and even hated by the Israelites. Many, if not most, tax collectors, were dishonest to boot – collecting far more than was required. Their greed often lined not only the coffers of the State, but the pockets of the tax collector. Yet, here was Jesus, walking by, calling one of them to follow him!

Matthew tells us in verses 10-12 that this Tax Collector, Matthew did follow Jesus and took him to dinner with a bunch of other hated Tax Collectors at Matt's house. Some Pharisees who were the keepers of the Jewish laws, saw Jesus eating there and asked His disciples why Jesus was eating and associating with Tax Collectors and sinners! In verse 12, Jesus himself explained that "It's not the healthy, the holy, who need a doctor, but the sick." He told the Pharisees in verse 13 to "go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice, for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Now let's consider what lesson Jesus means for us in this story…

All around us are opportunities to "eat with", talk to and to help out, the despised, mistrusted, and otherwise rejected people around us. We must invite and welcome all the despised, lowly outcasts, to meet Jesus, through us! We are his hands and feet today, his smile, his tears, his forgiving words. We are his representatives!

We must invite and welcome the stranger, forgive the ones we despise, love our enemies! Jesus died loving and forgiving. Perhaps we won't need to go that far…but, we can go a long way in his footsteps by loving our enemy, just as he commanded.

Welcome Pharisee, outsider, despised one. We LOVE Jesus here and we LOVE you too – in Jesus name!

Dear God, please help us to live in the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, loving all our enemies as Jesus did. Show us how to forgive those who despise and reject us, those who lie to us, those who take actions we know are bad for the world. Show us how to be your hands and feet and to spread your LOVE, not more hate and ill feelings. Keep us under the shadow of your wings and warm our hearts with your LOVE for all mankind. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

You are listening to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee.

This is Scripture Saturday, a time when we pause and reflect on the scriptures we have read throughout the week. If you missed any of our devotionals on these passages, you can find them on our website at 1stChurch.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Now, we invite you to listen and receive Grace. Welcome and thank you for joining us.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Seeking God through our strength and intellect seems to have been the human way since God created the universe and creatures in it. In the biblical story of the tower of Babel, God cast us down speaking all the different tongues of the world in order to confuse us. For millennia, humans have been divided by language, culture, and geography. Meanwhile, we have been busy creating tools to improve our existence. In the current age, humans have created technologies that have connected us, shared information, and made vast distances a matter of hours of travel. I once heard a prophet of technology state, with a straight face, that in the age of computers and internet access for every student, Susie could study algebra at 2:00 a.m. if she chooses. As a former educator, I can assure you that if Susie is online at 2:00 a.m., the chances that she is studying algebra are really quite small.

In an age of technology, we have created an illusion and myth that every person has a voice and information is accessible to all. We seem to think that this will fix what ails the human condition. Translation of unknown language can now be rendered in an instant; therefore, we can communicate freely. Yet we live in a world of misunderstanding. War, crime, hatred, and poverty have not disappeared despite our technology.

When God looked upon the effort of the people of Babel and said, "they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them," the condemnation was about hubris and choices, not the tower and the tools. It appears that humans have learned nothing. Thousands of years have passed, and we continue to think that our intelligence and our collective knowledge will save us from the human condition.

Humans are capable of amazing things, especially when we work together to meet a goal. We can accomplish goals that are both amazingly kind and generous, but our goals are just as often amazingly stupid, harmful, and even evil. Human tools allow us to work. The tools we create are neither good nor evil. The work is either guided by the Holy Spirit or it is not. Those who shout about their wisdom the loudest are likely to be those who work with a "senseless and darkened heart."

Lord, allow us to always focus on your creation not our own. Let us not follow the myths we tell ourselves about our own technology and tools but focus on what you allow us to do in Your name. May every tool we pick up be put to good use to do the work you ask of us to help our neighbors and bring your kingdom close, Amen.

This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Susan Daves.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.