Paul wrote the book of Phillipians, thanking this church for their help and concern for him while imprisoned in Rome. He also focused on uplifting and encouraging them in their faith. In this final chapter of his letter to them, he gave them some vital keys to his own ability to have a positive mindset and strong faith even though his circumstances were far from desirable. 

He started with an attitude, a deliberate approach to his day: He told them to rejoice….not because of the circumstances but because of their focus on the Lord. And he reminded them the Lord was near. Paul knew that even though he was in chains and confined to a prison, he was not alone. God was with Him and this gave him hope, confidence and a cause to rejoice. 

He gave them an action plan “for every situation”. Instead of being anxious and feeling powerless, he urged them “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (v6)

He gave them a focus for their thoughts: “..whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (v8)

Life certainly has its ups and downs, its twists and turns, and its unexpected pitfalls. In fact, the weight of circumstances can feel like a crushing, smothering burden you can’t escape. If we let our difficult circumstances set the tone, we are doomed. But if we follow Paul’s example, we have an action plan and a focus that can set the right attitude for our day. Because of Christ, Paul could encourage us to “Rejoice”. 

Prayer: Father, this Thanksgiving week is a special time to celebrate and rejoice as we count the abundance of your blessings. But, Lord, we ask that you instill within us the strength and grace to find daily gratitude and peace. No matter our circumstances, may we be empowered by Your Spirit to rise up each morning with a heart that exclaims to the world…Rejoice! 

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