(Read Psalm 145)
So many life events came together to shape this week’s devotion. It started as a simple idea, grew into a steady theme, and was nourished by a stream of memories, stories, and scriptural insights that surfaced along the way.
My mom used to love British dramas on TV. I sometimes thought, the more boring they seemed, the more she liked them. She was very intelligent and had a deep appreciation for British culture. So, it’s not hard to understand why she was sucked into all seven seasons of the original All Creatures, Great and Small series. To understand the series, you have to press the pause button. As Christian writer Elizabeth Hance from The Gospel Coalition wrote, think “wholesome.” (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/)
All Creatures Great and Small unfolds the real-life adventures of James Herriot, a young vet in 1930s rural Yorkshire, England. Through his work with animals and interactions with farmers and colleagues, we see a world where every creature and every relationship matters—and where compassion, patience, and humility shine.
Harriet borrowed the phrase “all creatures great and small” from the second verse of the 19th-century Anglican hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful. Cecil Frances Alexander wrote the hymn in 1848 for her book Hymns for Little Children. Even as a young girl in Ireland, she loved writing poetry and had a compassionate heart, often walking miles to care for the sick and poor. The hymn eventually appeared in Southern Baptist hymnals in 1926 and has been cherished by many ever since.
The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.
Psalm 145:9
This is the only psalm titled “A Praise of David,” and many theologians consider it to be his final song. In it, David expresses what we often refer to as common grace—the idea that God generously shares His goodness with all people. As Jesus said, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Herriot’s world of animals and farmers beautifully reflects this grace, offering a glimpse of a Creator who cares for all His creation.
I’m not throwing my mom under the bus—I loved this show too! Until I took physics in college, I actually thought I was going to be a vet. There was something undeniably comforting and relatable about how the characters interacted with one another. Even in the midst of challenges, they maintained healthy relationships and grew in community.
At 17, All Creatures Great and Small reflected for me a deeply Christian view of life’s sacred interconnectedness. The stories reminded me that God’s love extends to all of creation. In every small act of care, whether for a struggling animal or a weary soul, we are invited to reflect the kindness of our Creator. His grace shows up not just in big miracles but in the quiet, faithful work of everyday life. Its lessons of compassion and care taught me that every creature matters and reflects God’s design. The beauty of creation, whether in gentle animals or sweeping Yorkshire landscapes, echoed the wonder of the Creator.
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”
Matthew 6:28-29
Jesus draws our attention to the simple, fragile, and fleeting beauty of wildflowers. Yet He declares that even Solomon, in all his royal splendor, was not clothed as beautifully as these humble blooms. This reveals how deeply God cares for every part of His creation.
This verse is more than a gentle reminder; it’s a call to trust in God’s provision and to recognize His artistry in the world around us. It’s not just a suggestion, but a mandate to be faithful stewards of the earth and to care for one another. The natural world is not merely a backdrop to our lives; it is a living testimony of God’s creativity, compassion, and sustaining presence.
If God lavishes such beauty on flowers that bloom today and fade tomorrow, how much more will He care for us, who are made in His image?
Each detail, each life, each moment in nature points us back to the Creator who designed it all with love and purpose. We often need to be reminded of God’s original goodness and the harmony of creation. One time in our life group, it was brought up that while our human status has fallen, nature hasn’t. Everything we see and interact with, from birds to rabbits to dogs to people in our lives, should receive respect, recognition, and love. Notice that I’m excluding mosquitoes, but even they have a purpose, which we’ll find out someday.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Matthew 7:1–5
The message behind this sermon is unmistakable, but it is also important to understand who Jesus was speaking to. While large crowds were present, His teaching was directed primarily at His disciples, those who were committed to following Him and living out His values. At the same time, Jesus was challenging the religious teachers of the law, who were often quick to judge others while ignoring their own faults. His warning was not about avoiding moral discernment, but about exposing hypocrisy and self-righteousness.
It is easy to judge or give up on people. We get frustrated when they will not listen or change. “What’s the point?” I have often thought. But then I think of friends in the medical field, and I am reminded of what perseverance looks like. One friend (D) shared last night that the physical therapist he is shadowing has spent his entire career offering guidance and treatment, which is often ignored by some of his patients. Yet he continues to serve with care and consistency. As (D) put it, quoting his mentor, “You just have to push on.”
That struck a chord. As Christians, we are called to plant seeds, to live as examples of the Spirit at work, and to faithfully point others to Christ. But the outcome is not in our hands. God does the final work. We simply keep showing up.
Three well-known (or infamous, depending on who you ask) celebrities passed away this week. I was never a big Black Sabbath fan, but I have to admit, I did listen to some Ozzy during college. To be fair, I think he was doing solo stuff by then. After his death two days ago, I came across a heated discussion online, with some people going so far as to wish him well in hell.
I usually only check Twitter for sports updates because I do not have time for the garbage that lives there, but I got curious and kept reading. Like many, I always assumed Ozzy was a Satanist who bit the heads off bats and dabbled in the occult. Then I read a reply from someone who was not a fan or groupie, just someone offering a little clarity—who said otherwise.
Ozzy was raised in the Church of England, and many journalists believe that foundation stuck with him throughout his life. He’s been quoted expressing belief in God. In one interview, he said, “I’m a Christian. I was christened as a Christian. I used to go to Sunday school.” Referring to Jesus as “the original rock ’n’ roll star” isn’t exactly a hymn of praise, or maybe it is, in Ozzy-speak. Who really knows the state of his soul?
After his final concert, a news broadcast quoted him as saying he “found his way back to the spotlight.” Was he talking about fame and touring? Or was it about something higher?
I’m no apologist for Ozzy. He lived a life full of sin and self-indulgence—but so have I. We can judge, speculate, and assume, but only God truly knows who will join Him.
“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7)
Samuel reminds us that only God truly knows a person’s heart, and that is what matters most when it comes to salvation. From the flowers in the ground to the person who cut you off on the highway, we are all equally created by God. Sin is sin. None of us is greater than anyone else.
God wove a deep connection between humanity and the rest of creation. This bond reminds us daily of the compassion, care, and stewardship we are called to embody toward all creatures great and small.
“All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all”.Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.The purple-headed mountains,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky.He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.”
All Things Bright and Beautiful—
Cecil Frances Alexander (1848)
Life Application:
- God’s goodness and compassion extend to everyone and everything He created. As His followers, we’re called to reflect that same kindness in our daily lives through how we treat and respond to others and care for His creation.
- This week, look for a way to show kindness to a person, an animal, or creation as a reflection of God’s heart.