I have loved so much this week of study, because each
psalm that has been posted has reminded us of the importance of praise and
worship due to our God!
You probably have a favorite one like I do, because it
has accompanied you through very special seasons of your life. And today’s
psalm is not an exception.
These are some of the titles for psalm 104 on
different Bible versions:
Just by reading these titles we get a glimpse
of what David expressed in this Psalm.
Here is an introduction to this psalm by C. H.
Spurgeon.
“The Psalm
gives an interpretation to the many voices of nature, and sings sweetly both of
creation and providence. The poem contains a complete cosmos: sea and land,
cloud and sunlight, plant and animal, light and darkness, life and death, are
all proved to be expressive of the presence of the Lord.”
By reading the first verses, David invites us to praise our God and
recognize some of His attributes:
As we approach Him in
worship and praise we must acknowledge like David, that our God is great, and
that He is light, and in Him there is no darkness
at all!
“5 This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard
from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is
truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at
all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].” (1 John 1:5)
Our Lord Jesus, the Son
whom He recognized as His beloved (Luke 5:22), is the Light of the world:
“12 Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He
said, “[a]I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me
will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8.12)
In
this dark world filled with so many hardships, sin and heresy, only through the
Light of Jesus in us can we recognize what David expressed in this psalm that
our God :
If our hearts are gloomy (“darkened”) by the troubles and business of this world, we won’t be able to deeply appreciate and express our gratitude and praise for His daily blessings, not to mention the magnificence of His creation!
David was not was not exempt from these situations,
but I am sure that he wrote this psalm while he was in His quiet time with the
Lord. In a time of reflective contemplation of God’s awesome creation!
We can divide this psalm as follows:
-The creation of heavens and earth,
and all the creatures (104:1-9).
5 He established the earth on its foundations, So that it will not be moved forever and ever.
-The preservation of nature by God and how it displays its gratitude to
Him! (104:10-18).
“He causes grass to grow for the cattle, And all that the earth produces for cultivation by man, So that he may bring food from the earth—15 And wine which makes the heart of man glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, And bread to sustain and strengthen man’s heart.” (104:14-15)
- Sun and Moon also created for a purpose. (104:19-23).
19 He made the moon for the seasons; The sun knows the [exact] place of its setting.
-The Sea and Its Inhabitants (104:24-26).
- God’s Care
for all His Creation. (104:27-30).
-Benediction to our God
(104:31-35).
Let me ask you:
Do you take “the time to stop and smell
the roses”?, that is:
Do you take the time to meditate and
contemplate our Lord’s creation in awe and praise? What is it that is or can be
distracting you from this?
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we humbly come to you
recognizing there are times when we don’t take the time to thank you and praise
you for all you have blessed us with on a daily basis, and I ask you to forgive
us for taking so many of these blessings by granted! May I be able to be
attentive and to perceive Your loving Hand in all that surrounds me at the
present time and in every moment of my life! We join David in the following
Benediction: “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; May the Lord rejoice and be
glad in His works— 32 He
looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God
while I have my being. 34 May
my meditation be sweet and pleasing to Him; As for me, I will rejoice and be
glad in the Lord. 35 Let
sinners be consumed from the earth, And let the wicked be no more. Bless and affectionately
praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)” (100:31-35)
Mari