Psalm 104:1-35 You Make…
This psalm revels in the wonder of all that the Lord has made. From the heavens to the smallest things in the seas, His works are marvelous! You O Lord made it ALL.
I like stopping and just looking at everything God made at times. Sitting still and listening to the sounds around me. Taking in the smells. Contemplating the intricacies of the things I see. Apparently so does our psalmist. He didn’t stop with what he could actually see but dove deeper into what God had created. He gives Him glory for ALL of it.
Last year I created two different Christmas village landscapes. I put thought into each piece and placement of all the items. I fashioned small bodies of water and even a waterfall. I made mountains and hillsides. Roads and pavement were laid out. Every tree, animal, building, person and detail were planned and placed with care. I even fashioned trees to imitate those that I saw in God’s creation. My “world” is SO limited when compared to His. The joy I got from my process miniscule when measured against His.
Can you imagine the care and deliberate thought that God put into every detail of our world? Our Creator. Our Potter. Molding and shaping ALL that we know. From the exact angle of the earth and the hours of its rotation around the sun to the microscopic organisms that share our existence. Such detail is mind blowing. Just how tall to make the mountains. How deep to forge the oceans. And how omniscient to prepare for the changes it would undergo over time.
To even allow these changes is a wonder. My “world” is stable and fairly fixed. His is not. He KNEW from the beginning, while in the throes of creating it all, what man would do to His creation. He knew sin would be introduced into His creation and He planned for that. His construction was made to withstand the ‘little hands’ that would ‘play’ with it. He made it durable and delicate. Durable enough to endure our exploration. Delicate enough to capture our imagination and wonder.
He didn’t just hand it to us and wash His hands of any more responsibility. He continues to care for what He created. He sends the rain in its seasons. He moves the wind across its face. He holds the universe in place so the sun and moon can continue giving their gifts. He brings food for the wild animals and teaches them how to survive in this ever changing space.
And He works in the hearts of man. Some don’t even recognize His hand, turning their hearts towards His ends. What hubris to think that we ‘discovered’ electricity on our own. He has inspired our minds to work with His creations. Every ‘advancement’ and ‘preservation act’ guided by His hand. Not as puppets on a string but as gifts to be opened, explored, and enjoyed by His children. What marvels He has inspired and allowed to come about in this world of ours!
Have we misused His creations at times? YES. Does it pain Him to see this happen? Again, YES. Is He powerless to stop it or surprised by it. Not in the least. No more than I should have been when giving toys to my children and watching them use them in unexpected and destructive ways (i.e. deliberately stepping on their Little Tykes piano to hear the sounds it made). I took their toys away that they abused. He turns our hearts away from the destruction. Unfortunately not all hearts, but enough to help mediate the destruction.
He is STILL in control of this world He created. He has an ‘end game’ plan for it. He allows us to go so far and NO farther. If you don’t believe He has this power, look back at the story of the Tower of Babel. Trust Him to guide our world. Don’t be afraid to enjoy and explore all He has created with an eye towards our Creator. From one created being to another, cherish what He has made and treat it with respect. And this includes one another!
Father God, thank You for ALL that You have made! Thank You for the rain, wind, warmth of the sun, and even the snow. Thank You for each animal You placed into my world. Some I wish were never spawned but I realize they too have a place and purpose in Your creation. Why mosquitos and flies? What were You thinking when You made SPIDERS! Actually, when I think about it, they help control the population of mosquitos and flies. How many were on the arc? They probably had a vital role there.
Thank You for the flowers in ALL their varieties. Thank You for guiding man in developing medicines. I wish so much of it hadn’t come through malicious means but You redeemed it from its origins. Here again, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). I trust You to work out all the details in my world. Even the ones that involve others and their expectations. You are AMAZING! And I praise You and thank You for ALL You have made. From Your little creation/creator to her BIG Creator, thank You for allowing me to understand just a miniscule portion of what it is like to fashion a ‘world’.
