Psalm 104 — Delighted by God's works
1 Bless the LORD O my soul,
O LORD my God, thou art very great;
Thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment;
Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters;
Who maketh the clouds his chariot;
Who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
4 Who maketh winds his messengers;
His ministers a flaming fire:
5 Who laid the foundations of the earth,
That it should not be moved for ever.
6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a vesture;
The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At thy rebuke they fled;
At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away;
8 They went up by the mountains, they went down by the valleys,
Unto the place which thou hadst founded for them.
9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over;
That they turn not again to cover the earth.
10 He sendeth forth springs into the valleys;
They run among the mountains:
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild asses quench their thirst.
12 By them the fowl of the heaven have their habitation,
They sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the mountains from his chambers:
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,
And herb for the service of man;
That he may bring forth food out of the earth:
15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man,
And oil to make his face to shine,
And bread that strengtheneth man's heart.
16 The trees of the LORD are satisfied;
The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
17 Where the birds make their nests:
As for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;
The rocks are a refuge for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons:
The sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night;
Wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their meat from God.
22 The sun ariseth, they get them away,
And lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth unto his work
And to his labour until the evening.
24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works!
In wisdom hast thou made them all:
The earth is full of thy riches.
25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
Wherein are things creeping innumerable,
Both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships;
There is leviathan, whom thou hast formed to take his pastime therein.
27 These wait all upon thee,
That thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
28 That thou givest unto them they gather;
Thou openest thine hand, they are satisfied with good.
29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled;
Thou takest away their breath they die,
And return to their dust.
30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created;
And thou renewest the face of the ground.
31 Let the glory of the LORD endure for ever;
Let the LORD rejoice in his works:
32 Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth;
He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
34 Let my meditation be sweet unto him:
I will rejoice in the LORD.
35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth,
And let the wicked be no more.
Bless the LORD, O my soul.
Praise ye the LORD.
Praise God all creation! Indeed, praise God for his good creation. Truly the wonders all around bring day after day the chance to be impressed by God's work. The days and order of creation, reflected in the text of this psalm, reveal order and wisdom in our world. Far from cosmic chaos, God made the world with plans and bounds.
We ought to be excited by psalms like these to enjoy and appreciate that which is around us. Some days are easier than others. As I write this, it is a warm January day, the perfect chance to see the winter leftovers from autumn's beauty. The cycles of cold & warmth, birth & death, as seen and felt in our seasons, reflect the order and bounds God made. Yet, if we never leave our air conditioned homes, we'll never get a taste of understanding for just how great the order is.
Take the time to enjoy God's work & words together. Take the time to be gracious for the wine, oil and bread God gives. Take the time to meditate on the true word which came down out of heaven to teach us.