Psalm 104 – Praise to the Sovereign LORD for His Creation and Providence
(by Richard Tio)
God is worthy to be praised and given honor and majesty. He is filled with light, larger than what humans can see; His creative acts are described in words like upper chambers of water, the chariot of clouds, walking on wings of the wind, accompanied by angels and ministers of fire. At His rebuke, the waters fled; at His thunderous voice, they hastened away.
God’s greatness is evident in His creation. There is scientific knowledge as we know it today. Issues like zoology, botany, geology, and astronomy. God sets boundaries for the waters and earth. He causes water springs to fill the valleys and quench the thirst of field beasts and wild donkeys.
All life is known to God and He sustains life. On dry land, vegetation and trees grow for birds to make their home. Grass grows for cattle to eat. Different plant species help mankind in daily life for home use, as food, and as implements for agriculture and protection. In the myriad designs in the sea, great and wide, with small and great living things, to life on land, lion cubs seeking prey for food, to a man going out to work in the morning and returning home at sunset – all these, God sees and sustains His creation.
Creation waits for God to give food in due time. They gather food and are filled. But when God hides His face, they are troubled. When God takes away the breath of life, man and beasts die and return to earth.
The psalmist starts and ends this psalm 104 with a call to bless the LORD. Praise and recognize the glory of the LORD to endure forever. He petition God’s favor that he rejoices in His works.
Mankind made in God’s image is to be His image-bearer and His followers are to sing to Him while alive. We are to meditate on His character and be grateful to Him for all He has done.
The psalm ends with a sober warning that sinners will be consumed from the earth, even as praise and blessing on the LORD continue.
Let’s Read Psalm 104
2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
4 Who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.
5 You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At Your rebuke they fled;
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
8 They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,
That they may not return to cover the earth.
10 He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
They sing among the branches.
13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.
14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth food from the earth,
15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17 Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons;
The sun knows its going down.
20 You make darkness, and it is night,
In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they gather together
And lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to his work
And to his labor until the evening.
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions—
25 This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
26 There the ships sail about;
There is that Leviathan
Which You have made to play there.
27 These all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season.
28 What You give them they gather in;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
29 You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.
May the LORD rejoice in His works.
32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, 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 to Him;
I will be glad in the LORD.
And the wicked be no more.
Let’s Pray
Almighty LORD God and gracious Heavenly Father, we come before You through Your Son’s righteous sacrifice on the cross. We ascribe praise, glory and honour to You. You are very great in your detailed creation of all we see on earth, under the earth and above the heavens. May Your glory endure forever, may You rejoice in Your works. We look to You for daily grace to sustain us. We thank You for Your salvation and redemption through the shed blood of Your Son Jesus Christ. May we express our faith in song to You, and may our meditation be pleasing to You. We renew our commitment to trust and obey You in all our life. Praise and thank You, in Your Son’s wonderful and precious Name, Amen!
This devotional was kindly contributed by Dr. Chow Li Sze and her channel Heavenly Devotion. You may find the channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/HeavenlyDevotion/videos
About the Heavenly Devotion channel
The Heavenly Devotion channel is dedicated to encouraging you to listen to Bible Scriptures and pray with the Scriptures. They are inspired by the call of service as expressed and exemplified by Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:12-15.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12 NKJV)
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