First Sunday Meditation

"And you shall love the Lord your God

with all your mind and heart and with

your entire being and with all your might."

Deuteronomy 6:5

Meliteae Phoebe Butterfly

Mishmarot, Israel

Photographed by Jeff Zablow

"And he cried with a mighty voice,

Revere God and give Him glory,

honor and praise in worship,

for the hour of His judgment has arrived.

Fall down before Him; pay Him

homage and adoration and worship Him

Who created the heaven and earth,

the sea and the springs of water."

Revelation 14:7

Natural Spring

Gan Hashlosha National Park

Israel

O sing to the Lord a new song;

sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

show forth His salvation

from day to day.

Declare His glory

among the nations,

His marvelous works among

all the peoples.

For great is the Lord

and greatly to be praised;

He is to be reverently feared

and worshiped above all

so-called gods.

For all the gods of the nations

are lifeless idols, but the Lord

 made the heavens.

Honor and majesty

are before Him;

strength and beauty

are in His sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord,

O you families of the peoples,

ascribe to the Lord

glory and strength.

Give to the Lord the glory due His name;

bring an offering and come

before Him into His courts.

O worship the Lord in the beauty

of holiness; tremble before and reverently

fear Him, all the earth.

Wildflowers of the Lower Galilee region in Israel

Photograph by M. Houchins

Say among the nations

that the Lord reigns;

the world also is established,

so that it cannot be moved;

He shall judge and rule the people

righteously and with justice.

Let the heavens be glad, and let

the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and

all the things which fill it;

Let the field be exultant, and all

that is in it! Then shall all the trees of

the wood sing for joy.

Before the Lord, for He comes,

for He comes to judge and govern the earth!

He shall judge the world with

righteousness and justice and the

peoples with His faithfulness and truth.

Psalm 96

"Let the field be exultant and all that is in it!"

An Israeli girl picking beautiful flowers grown

on the Kibbutz of Nir Yitzhak in southern Israel