Read Psalm 104
1 Praise the Lord, my soul.
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3 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.
4 He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.
5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
15 wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.
16 The trees of the Lord are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
23 Then people go out to their work,
to their labor until evening.
24 How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
26 There the ships go to and fro,
and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
27 All creatures look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
29 When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works—
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the Lord.
35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Praise the Lord.
Go Deeper
We will never be able to find a piece of nature that didn’t come from the mind of our God. Not only was He creative enough to think of it, but He was powerful enough to form it into being. Everything from the seas, the stars, and the seals are all from His creative power. This psalm helps us realize that God genuinely cares for His creation. He didn’t just create and then step away but is still involved in the happenings on Earth. He is an active God all throughout His vast creation. This psalm helps us understand the grandeur and wisdom of God. He’s not distant from His creation, nor is He inept in His power.
It’s easy for us to get overwhelmed with the things on our immediate to-do list. We are so consumed with our work, our relationships, or our finances that sometimes we begin to believe we are the god of our lives. We have our own kingdom to run. It’s our job to run our life and we need to make sure we have it under control. However, this psalm allows us to step back and get perspective on what is actually true. We have a God that is so big and so great, that He is able to create and sustain everything on Earth. He is the One who has authority over every living thing. He is the One who is overseeing our lives. He’s not taking a role in our kingdom, but rather we are taking part in His.
We don’t have to be consumed with making sure all is well with our world because we aren’t the ones in charge of it. Psalm 104 should be a comforting reminder that we aren’t the sustainers of our life. Instead, we get the opportunity to rely on God to provide for us in every season. There is nothing too great for Him. He isn’t overwhelmed by your situation. As we meditate on all He has done, it should prompt us to the place where this psalm ends: with praise to our God.
Questions
- What does this passage teach you about the character of God?
- Since God oversees all of creation, is it hard for you to trust that he is intimately involved in your life?
- When did you last spend time reflecting in nature about the creativity and grandeur of God? How can you make space to do that?
Did You Know?
Scientists estimate that there are approximately 3,500,000,000,000 fish in the ocean. And God created and sustains them all!
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2 thoughts on “Psalm 104”
Verse 27-30 is such a beautiful reminder of how all creation depends on Him and we are nothing without Him. He is the very reason why we exist. And to think that He sent His Son to die for our sins shows the extent of His vast and deep love. Praise God!
As I read this Psalm I’m reminded of Genesis 1:31 “God saw all He had made, and it was very good.” He is creative & extravagant, and His glory is visible in all creation. Man has marred beautiful creation by ugly sin. One day sin will vanish and creation will be renewed. Until then we notice and look to the God of creation with hearts of praise, meditating and rejoicing in Him.