In my weekly Works & Wonders column, I combine a brief devotional with other interesting and uplifting bits and pieces I gleaned throughout the week. I hope you enjoy this week’s collection! It includes:
- All Will Bow: A Devotional
- Voyager’s Light Day
- Draw Near
- Pano Awards
- Codex
- How Octopuses Squeeze Through
- Heal and Make Whole
1.
All Will Bow
God is often described as sovereign. “Sovereign” is a word of royalty or kingship that describes one who has supreme power and authority within his rightful jurisdiction—both the right and the ability to act in the ways he sees fit. A king has the right to act only within his own kingdom, yet because God created the world and owns it and fills it, his dominion extends through all time and all space—through all that is and all that will be. It extends even to each human being, for all have been created by God and all, therefore, owe allegiance to him. As sovereign, God has purposed to have all bow the knee to him, their rightful ruler. And through his power all will, though in different ways. Some will see his word and his works, respond to his mercy, and bow in worship. Some will see his word and works, harden their hearts, and be forced to bow before him in judgment. But either way, all will bow before him.
2.
Voyager’s Light Day
NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is about to mark its first “light day” as it reaches one light-day from earth—much farther than any human-made object has ever traveled. It will be 16 billion miles from Earth, having been launched in 1977. NASA has an invitation for you: after sunset on Tuesday, November 17, step outside and flash V-G-R in Morse code at the sky with a flashlight or phone, since VGR was Voyager’s call sign. While one light-day is a notable accomplishment, it may be worth pointing out that the edge of the observable universe is something like 47 billion light-years away, so we haven’t exactly caught up to the Lord.
3.
Draw Near
I didn’t see this one coming: the second Indelible Grace album of 2026. Yet here we have it: Draw Near. Like its predecessors, it is composed largely of retuned hymns from the past, though I believe there are some originals as well. (2026’s other album was Rove No More, in case you’d like to give it a listen as well.)
4.
Pano Awards
The photography competition of the week is the Pano Awards, which honors the best examples of panoramic photography. Panoramas will nearly always be landscapes, which is my favorite kind of photography. Not surprisingly, the results are stunning.
5.
Codex
Codex is a neat new initiative from the missions organization Missionary. I’ll allow the people who made it to explain it: “Codex is an index of unreached language groups (ULGs), people united by language yet strangers to Christ and His Church. By detailing who the unreached are, where they live, what they believe, and what stands between them and salvation, Codex fuels informed prayer for those who have not heard.”
6.
How Octopuses Squeeze Through
You’ve probably seen videos of octopuses squeezing through holes that seem far too small and, in fact, may be even narrower than the most rigid part of their body. Scientists recently put the effort into figuring out how they do it, and the answer is pretty interesting. Helpfully, they captured it all on video so you can see it for yourself. You’ll need to read Science News’s How octopuses squeeze through tiny openings, step by step to learn how they do it.
7.
Heal and Make Whole
I enjoyed this new live recording from of “Heal and Make Whole” from The Soil and Seed Project. It’s a whimsical telling of the life of Christ through trees. I guess you’ll need to give it a listen to figure out what that means. You can find the lyrics here if you scroll down.
