Psalm 104:25-35 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 104:25-35 on biblegateway.com
Verse 25Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great.
Verse 26There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.
Verse 27These all look to you to give them their food in due season;
Verse 28when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
Verse 29When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
Verse 30When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.
Verse 31May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works-
Verse 32who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke.
Verse 33I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
Verse 34May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
Verse 35Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord!
Devotion
Good things come to those who wait, goes the old adage; and, the psalmist adds, to those who wait upon the Lord. God is the one who gives all living things the nourishment they need when they need it.
We start to say thank you, grateful that we have such a good, caring God. But then we look at the newspaper and questions arise. What about the millions of children starving in Africa? What about those too poor to buy food? When will the Lord deliver their daily bread?
Perhaps the key comes in looking at the psalm again. The creatures the psalmist describes trust that God will take care of their needs. They do not need to know how, or when, only that he will. Could it be that God provides for their needs through the generosity and compassion of others? Is it possible that God needs you to bring good things to someone in need today?
Prayer
Lord, whom do you need me to help today? Make it clear to me, and give me the courage, the strength and the resources to do reach out to them with your love. Amen.