Wednesday
Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. . . .
He [God] makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate – bringing forth food from the earth: wine gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.
The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are refuge for the coneys. . . .
How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number – living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works.
(Psalm 104:1-6, 10-18, 24-31, NIV)
Psalm 104 is a glorious hymn of praise to God the Creator. Although there are brief references to angels and humanity in this psalm, the central theme focuses on the world of nature, the world of plants and trees, birds, fish and wild animals. The psalmist portrays nature as a radiant garment which God wraps around himself to demonstrate his glory.
Biblical scholars indicate that Psalm 104 was beautifully designed with stanzas of varying lengths that describe the celestial and nautical realms, the earth’s foundation, the orderly cycles of life governed by the moon and stars, the richness of life on earth, and God’s sustenance of creation. Each of the days of creation recorded in Genesis 1 is carefully covered by the psalmist. The chapter concludes with words of praise for God’s glory and notes that the Lord rejoices “in his works” (v. 31).
God’s pleasure with the world of nature is powerfully illustrated in today’s verses. His continuing care and maintenance of nature is also established by the psalmist’s words: “These [the animals] all look to you to give them their food at the proper time” (v. 27). God, who enjoys his creation and sustains it on a daily basis, has promised to send his Spirit and to “renew the face of the earth” (v. 30). God has also given men and women the task of caring for his creation – we are God’s stewards of all he has created.
Prayer
All-powerful God, sustainer of creation, we praise you for the beauty of our natural world, for birds, for fish, for animals. We recognize that you have laid the foundations of the world which can never be moved and that you provide life to all of the creatures you made. Without you, they die. Thank you for the gift of your Spirit which brings renewal to earth. Amen.