  
|
About-Him.Com Devotional 05-15-2010
http://about-him.com/ Thoughts on Psalms 104 - The Glory of God Reflected in Creation Text: Psalms 104:1 ¶ Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 2 Who coverest [thyself] with light as [with] a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: In Psalm 104, the psalmist reflects upon the glory of God as he recalls His creation. First of al, he reflects upon the glory of God. He remarks that God wears light as a part of His garments. God is light and light is an integral part of His being. Mortal man is incapable of looking onto any bright light, without being blinded. How much more, if we were to look into the very being of God. Moses was hidden in the cleft of the rock as the glory of God passed by. The after effect of God’s glory was so intense that He had to wear a veil. When Moses returned to the Israelite's camp after communing with God, the glory of God was so intense that his face shone from the glory of God, to the extent that the people were afraid to come near him (Ex. 34:29-30). Others had the experience of seeing God’s Glory. Isaiah said that He was high and lifted up with His train filling the temple. The heavenly beings attended to His commands as they continually cried out, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, the whole earth is full of your glory. Isaiah was filled with dread because He had seen the King, the Lord of Host (Isa. 6:1-13). Daniel saw Him as the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:9). Peter, James and John stood in amazement as Jesus was overshadowed with the glory of God on the mount of Transfiguration. His face did shine as the sun and His face was white as the light (Mt. 17:2). 1John 1:5 tells us that God is Light and that in Him is no darkness at all. The first act of creation was when God said, “Let there be Light, which shows that God was inserting Himself into His creation (Gen. 1:3). When we read the creation account we see that the sun wasn’t put into place until the 4th day. We know that life cannot exist without the light of the sun. So what was it then that sustained the grass and the fruit that was created on the 3rd day, to the point that they yielded fruit? I believe it was by the glory of God whose very being is composed of light. Revelation tells us that when we get to the heavenly city, there will be no need of the sun and the moon, because the city will be lighted by the glory of God and the lamb. Remember the old song, “In the City Where the Lamb is the Light?” Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof. God made a perfect creation for our benefit. When He finished He surveyed His handiwork and pronounced it “Good.” Perhaps we take the beauties of God’s creation for granted? Yes, I know we do. I was recently complaining about the wind that we have been experiencing here in Las Vegas. I was admonished by this verse of our text that tells us that God walks upon the wings of the wind. Text: Psalms 104:3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: When we consider the God’s creation, we have to stand in awe of the Creator. Isaiah 40:12-14 tells us that God measured the waters of the vast oceans in the hollow of His hand. That’s a pretty big hand, isn’t it? Bigger than anything we can compare to. He weighed the mountains and dust of the earth in a balance. He asks the question, “Who gave Him counsel and instruction in creation? Well, it certainly wasn’t me. He did it all by Himself. Isaiah 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that maketh all [things]; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; Isaiah 45:12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, [even] my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. Isaiah 40:22 [It is] he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof [are] as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: He stretched forth the heavens as a tent to dwell in. He calls all of the vast heavenly bodies, which man has yet to discover, by name. Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these [things], that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that [he is] strong in power; not one faileth. Well, back to our text: To Paraphrase Psalms 104:5-33: God laid the foundations of the earth and they will not be moved. At creation, He directed the waters to be removed from the firmament and the waters receded to their place below the mountains. He gave the seas a boundary that they cannot pass over. We know now that the moon controls the ocean tides, all at God’s direction. God sends springs of water into the valleys, that water the beasts and the fowls of the air. He waters the hills and causes the grass to grow for feed for cattle. As a result we have the meat of the cattle to eat. He gave us herbs for food and trees full of sap. He gave us the trees for birds to build their nest in and from which we here them raise their songs to heaven. He gave us hills for the wild goats, and rocks which shelter various small animals such as the conies. He set the sun and the moon in their places and appointed the circuits of their movements. They have yet to vary from the limits that He placed on them. Men today can fire a rocket and tell us the exact time and date that it will reach the various planets of our solar system. He controls night and day in which man and beast goes about their various tasks. God created the seas, which abound with all types of living creatures. Men sail on the seas and observe the various sea creatures at play. All of these creatures wait upon the Lord for their necessary food, which He supplies to them. Perhaps when our spiritual vision gets clouded, it is because we are focusing too much on ourselves and not on the majesty of our Creator and His creation. We need to follow the Lord’s admonition of Isaiah 40:26. Let us look around us at the majesty of God’s handiwork and into the heavens for His matchless precision. Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these [things], that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that [he is] strong in power; not one faileth. 28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. When we put things in proper perspective, we are renewed in our spirit. We have the promise that if we wait on Him, He will renew our strength. We’ll mount up as eagles, we’ll run without being weary and walk without fainting. Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Text: Psalms 104:33 I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. Let us determine that regardless of conditions, as long as we have breath, we will raise our voices to God in praise and admonition for the beauties and precision of His great creation. When I worship, I would rather my heart be without words than my words be without heart. - Lamar Boschman Keep Looking Up! Don and Marie Spooner About Him! Ministries Your thoughts and Inquiries Contact@about-him.com Subscribe to this devotional? Subscribe@about-him.com The purpose of About-Him.Com is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ whom we preach as the Almighty God manifest in the flesh. It is our desire that everything presented on these pages increases your faith in our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Home About Us About His Word Bible Studies Flash Movies Guest Writers Humor Links Midi Music Songs of the Church Thoughts on the Life of Christ Weekly Devotions Audio Devotionals Topical Studies Contact Last modified: 05-17-2010 Contact us About Him! Ministries |