Wow, God!

a devotional reflection on Psalm 104

Photo: Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Morning Devotional
Monday, July 20, 2026
Wow, God!
Psalm 104

“The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.” (Psalm 104:18)

Devotional Reflection
Last week was Vacation Bible School at our church. Throughout the week, the children learned a simple response of worship and wonder:

“Wow, God!”

Whenever something helped them see God’s goodness, they answered with those words.

Psalm 104 is filled with that kind of attention. The psalmist watches wild donkeys drinking from springs and hears birds singing among the branches. He imagines creatures moving through parts of the sea no human being will ever explore.

Then, in verse 18, we meet the hyrax.

I looked up the hyrax and discovered that it has apparently become “the most disrespected animal of 2026.” An internet meme describes it as the “default mammal,” as though God selected the generic setting and moved on.

Psalm 104 gives the hyrax more dignity than the internet does:

“The crags are a refuge for the hyrax.”

God cares about the hyrax. God has made a place among the rocks where this small creature can hide, rest, and live. People may find it ordinary or even funny. It still belongs within the wisdom and delight of God.

Psalm 104 draws our attention toward lives most of us never notice: the wild goat on the mountain, the hyrax among the crags, and creatures hidden beneath the sea. All of them remain known to the God who made them.

We often wonder whether we are interesting enough to be noticed or accomplished enough to matter. We measure ourselves by the attention we receive and the usefulness we can prove.

The hyrax does not have to impress anyone to have a place in God’s world. And neither do we.

The God who cares about a small animal hiding among the rocks also cares about people whose lives may never draw a crowd. We belong to God before we have proved ourselves useful or remarkable.

Look closely today. Something you usually pass without seeing may remind you how much God notices and cares for.

And when you notice it:

Wow, God.

Follow-up Practice
Give one ordinary thing your full attention for a minute. It might be a bird outside the window, the shape of a leaf, or someone doing work that usually goes unrecognized.

Then think of a person who may feel overlooked, and find one simple way to let them know you see them.

Prayer
God of mountains, crags, wild goats, and hyraxes: widen my attention today. Help me notice the lives I too easily pass by. When I feel ordinary or unseen, remind me that I have a place within your world and within your care. Teach me to delight in the lives you have made, and let my attention help someone who feels overlooked know they are seen by you. Amen.

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