Rejoice with the Lord in His Works!

Psalms 104:19-35

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.

24 O LORD, how manifold are Your works!
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.

31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
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.

35 May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Praise the LORD!

The second half of this psalm continues to praise the LORD for His creation and providence, calling us to look closer and wider that we may rejoice with the Lord in all His works.  He appointed the sun and moon in the heavenly place for us (Genesis 1:16-18) to mark the passing of time on a regular schedule of sunrise with sunset, and with predictable phases of the moon.  The darkness allows animals to safely hide from man while foraging, and find their prey for sustenance while unseen.  When the sun also rises, they go to sleep in safety while man awakes to face the day ahead while he can see his work and God’s provision until the sun sets once more.  This rhythm of the day and night are the order of His creation.  How varied are His works in number, wisdom, and purposes!  Just consider that all these are His possessions, including us; He has filled the oceans with teeming life below, more there unseen than those above the waters we can see clearly.  All of these are content and trusting in God to provide their daily bread; we can learn much in observing them and considering God’s provision (Matthew 6:25-26), not coveting what another has, but working with our own hands to receive from His hands (1 Corinthians 4:12, James 4:2).  He gives to fill us with good things (Psalm 103:5, Matthew 7:11), and we gather in what we need (Exodus 16:16) as faithful stewards who rely on His provision for our daily need (Luke 11:3).  Like the animals who have their lives taken away and new ones have life breathed into them by God, so we can learn to trust His good providence in all circumstances of life, even when it appears that hides His face from us and we are troubled.  Faith looks beyond our sight in patient expectation (Romans 8:19, 2 Peter 3:13, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18).  God’s glory is eternal in the heavens and on earth, and He rejoices in all His works, including smoking volcanoes and earthquakes; so should we rejoice and honor that glory in songs of praise and thanksgiving.  Our praise is more than moments of singing, however.  It also is our continuing consideration of these things throughout the day as we meditate on what pleases our God; our gladness, our joy, is in Him and all His works.  Remember, He will end this world in the final judgment of sinners who do not turn to Him in trust and reliance (John 6:28-29).  Because of His coming kingdom in which righteousness will dwell, we now bless and praise Him by faith to trust His work as well as His provision.  Rejoice with the Lord in His work!  Praise the Lord!