Read Psalm 65
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
2 You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
4 Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
6 who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
9 You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
13 The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
Go Deeper
God didn’t have to design the universe in the way that He did. We could have lived in a small, bland, and colorless world. Instead, He decided to give us a small taste of His splendor as he designed creation to be filled with deep oceans, powerful rivers, colorful plants, thousands of stars, and a wide variety of animals. He gave us senses to feel the sunshine on our skin, smell the fresh breeze of a new season, see the clouds rolling through the sky, run our fingers through the blades of grass, and hear the birds chirping.
If you’ve ever wondered if God could do more than you can ask or imagine, just look at creation. Could you have imagined the display of a perfect sunset from scratch? Could you have ever created the grandeur of the lion on your own? Indeed, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).
This is why the process in Psalm 65 is so helpful for our faith. Nature reminds us of the magnitude of our God. We don’t serve a small or unimaginative god. We get to know and love an innovative Creator. Here, when David lists out the wonders of the world, he falls more in love with his God. Have you ever had that happen to you? You couldn’t explain it, but standing at the edge of the ocean made you love God more. Or, perhaps you looked at the stars and felt your heart resound with praise. This is because we can learn about God through what He has made.
His creation speaks to us every single day about His character. Have you been paying attention? Or instead, have you been consumed with your phone, your job, your homework, or your to-do list? Take some time today to notice that which your God has made. Nature is His reminder to you that He is a big God who is worthy of praise. He has given us an invitation to see a glimpse of Him today, will you accept it?
Questions
- What does this chapter tell you about the character of God?
- Why do you think nature can make us stand in awe of God?
- What distracts you from noticing the creation around you?
Keep Digging
Check out this article entitled, “What does it mean that the heavens declare the glory of God?”
6 thoughts on “Psalms of Thanksgiving: Psalm 65”
I have studied Ecology,Zoology, nature conservation and many forms of animal biology including marine biology and I have always found an intelligently designed system. The beauty of Nature and the complexity in which its systems run and interact and mingle together could never have been random. You can see and hear and feel and can even taste Gods glorious design in birds song, plant structure and function, how ecosystems work together globally and how garden grown food tastes so amazing just from absorbing sunshine. I have always felt God the most when I am out in nature. He calms my soul and brings peace and joy to my heart whenever I am out and about on a hike or in my garden. Praise the Lord! He has always been all around us !
Creation, our world, how it spins in space, how the gravitaltional pull is perfect, how the sun rotates just the right amount of space to not burn us up or freeze us to death. Perfection!! God is so so good! We take all these things for granted or I do. BUT GOD knows, He wants us to know that this is just a tiny taste of what is to come. We need to praise God for the seen and unseen.
God thank You for how You designed our world for YOUR GLORY!!!Thank You that I realize the unseen to praise You for. Thank You for answered prayer, and that to You all people will come. God when I am overwhelmed by sins, You forgave my transgressions. “How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You To dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.”in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!
Every created thing is intended to draw us to the heart of God. Just this week as my husband and I were taking a morning walk we noted the beauty and intricacies of creation. Doing so was like a reset to our bodies, reminding us of both the goodness and grandeur of the Creator. May we stand in awe of his wonders and respond with abundant praise.
Verse 8 caught my eye, specifically “where morning dawns, where evening fades”. What a beautiful verse! A beautiful sunrise and gorgeous sunset. While spending part of the summer in Kentucky, I am a consumer of God’s glory in this place. Many things that I don’t normally get to enjoy at home and a continual reminder of God’s love for us through His nature. This morning I saw a doe and her fawn scurrying across the road into a lush green forest with vibrant colored trees (and I’m color- blind, but the colors I can see are complex and amazing).
So very thankful for this opportunity to take in God’s wonderful creationand in return participate with others in praises to a most worthy God that deserves all praise!!! Awe struck at His creations and overflowing love for us!
Thank you Jesus and to God be the Glory!
Amen!!!
7 “who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.”
Lord, this world could use a little of your stilling of “the turmoil of the nations” right now. Please!
As I’ve traveled to Colorado and get up close to Mount Princeton, my breathe is taken away and I buckle to my knees. The awesomeness of our BIG God and yet the intimacy of His love overtakes my body completely. Nature is the character of God reminding us that as He provides for the birds of the sky, and how much more He will provide for us. As He paints the sky for morning, He greets us and as He sets the sunset, He tucks us in at night What a grand Father we have. I am in awe and my heart swells with the love that grows deeper for Him daily.