He made the moon to mark the seasons. Psalm 104:19
Leisa wanted a way to redeem the season. So many of the autumn decorations she saw seemed to celebrate death, sometimes in gruesome and macabre ways.
Determined to counter the darkness in some small way, Leisa began to write things she was grateful for with a permanent marker on a large pumpkin. “Sunshine” was the first item. Soon visitors were adding to her list. Some entries were whimsical: “doodling,” for instance. Others were practical: “a warm house”; “a working car.” Still others were poignant, like the name of a departed loved one. A chain of gratitude began to wind its way around the pumpkin.
Psalm 104 offers a litany of praise to God for things we easily overlook. “[God] makes springs pour water into the ravines,” sang the poet (v. 10). “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate” (v. 14). Even the night is seen as good and fitting. “You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl” (v. 20). But then, “The sun rises . . . . People go out to their work, to their labor until evening” (vv. 22–23). For all these things, the psalmist concluded, “I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (v. 33).
In a world that doesn’t know how to deal with death, even the smallest offering of praise to our Creator can become a shining contrast of hope.
Read: Psalm 104:10-23 (NIV)
10 He makes springss pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give watert to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeysu quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the skyv nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.w
13 He waters the mountainsx from his upper chambers;y
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.z
14 He makes grass growa for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth foodb from the earth:
15 winec that gladdens human hearts,
oild to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustainse their hearts.
16 The trees of the Lordf are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanong that he planted.
17 There the birdsh make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;i
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.j
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,k
and the sunl knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness,m it becomes night,n
and all the beasts of the foresto prowl.
21 The lions roar for their preyp
and seek their food from God.q
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.r
23 Then people go out to their work,s
to their labor until evening.t
INSIGHT
- How do you and your friends deal with the idea of death?
- What are some ways you might make the world curious about the hope you have in Jesus?
Many psalms celebrate the greatness of God as the Creator and Sustainer of the physical world. These are known as “nature psalms” (for example, Psalms 8, 19, 29, 33, 65, 95, 104, 135, 148). Psalm 104 celebrates and glorifies God as the Creator and Sustainer of all creation. Verses 10–23 describe how He creates, cares for, sustains, and renews His creation. The psalmist also exalts God as the source of life—who holds the power of life and death of every creature on earth—and highlights His providence and provision for His creatures (vv. 24–30). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus too speaks of God as our Sustainer. He asks us to consider how the Father feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass of the field (Matthew 6:26, 30).
PRAYER
Thank You, Father, for the multiple good things You’ve placed on this earth. Make my life a grateful offering of praise to You. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!!
Read: Psalm 104:10-23 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 22-23; Titus 1
