8/4

Psalms 107:24

²⁴they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep.

This verse refers to the miracles of salvation that God worked for those in ships tossed by storms. Tomorrow's devotion is also on that topic. In this one devotional I will take the verse out of its context, though there are others that speak directly of the sea creatures (Psalm 146:6; 148:7). The very day I came to this psalm I happened to be diving in the ocean off the Hawaiian Islands. We came upon an octopus. Holding it in our hands, it squirted its ink cloud to try to escape. It immediately turned the color of skin to camouflage itself in our hands. A moment before it looked just like the texture and color of the coral it was resting on.

These amazing creatures have a circulatory system much different from ours. Instead of using iron to bond to oxygen molecules, their system uses copper. The spent blood is stored in a sack to be used as ink to help cover an escape. The creature's muscles are on the outside of their bodies which enables them to take the shape and texture of their surroundings. The dive master said that either God designed this creature uniquely or it came from another planet. We know which.

That evening we snorkeled on the surface of the water at night with bright lights that drew plankton. Giant manta rays, whose wing spans can reach 16 feet, would gracefully fly in circles under us with their bellies toward ours as they scooped up the plankton just inches under us. They sense where we are by the electromagnetic energy in our bodies. We saw God's wondrous works in the deep. It is one of my favorite things to do as we marvel at the creativity and diversity of God's designs. Nature is God's second Bible. It declares the greatness of God.

Consider: We often say, "Take time to smell the roses." Have you taken time to look at nature's glorious design and marveled at God's creativity? It is one of the many ways that we can worship Him.