Psalm 67

God be merciful to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us,
That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.

Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
Then the earth shall yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

Mornings bring a peaceful beauty, untouched by the day. I let the dog out and stand on the back steps admiring the dew on the grass, the fog in the air, the birds chirping from the trees. Have you ever noticed how joyful they are when they wake up?

Sometimes I make it out to the garden in the calm, but more often the day has already started and my two sidekicks run along the fence with me.

I can’t get over the beauty. How do melons and squash plants know to send their little tendrils out, curling around anything they feel? Their spirals captivate me.

In years past, I tried to maintain tomato plants within the wire cages - this year, I have some in cages and one gorgeously unruly tomato plant sprawling across its bed. I look at it and laugh, and I am learning that plants are designed to grow. They know what to do, I’m just the assistant.

What a gift it is, that the earth would yield her increase. We harvest cucumbers and thank God between bites for each one, a means of provision for our family.

Let all the people praise You, O God; let men and women and children see Your handiwork and give You glory. You are a good God, and a wonderful Creator!