Psalm 104:24-34, 35b (NRSV)
Read Psalm 104:24-34, 35b on biblegateway.com
Verse 24O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
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
This psalm is full of awe, wonder, and joy about creation. We are reminded of the second verse of Genesis: "The earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from [the Spirit of] God swept over the face of the waters." God's creative Spirit is sent forth, and wondrous things are made, sustained, and renewed.
Plenty of scientific research shows that God's creation provides significant health benefits for our body, mind, and spirit. The day after Easter, my husband and I took a hike on the Cumberland Island National Seashore. All of our stress disappeared. We were renewed, as God's amazing creation—an armadillo, shore birds, wild horses, deer, majestic trees, and kind people—ministered to us along with the sound of the waves on a seemingly empty beach. A gentle wind moved the trees and kept us cool. How might God's creation be speaking a word of joy and renewal to you today?
Prayer
Creating, sustaining, renewing God, we thank you for the gifts of your wondrous creation. Open our eyes and hearts to find joy in even the small and simple parts of your creation. Help us see your creation as a gift to be valued and cared for. Amen.