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Psalm 104 is the nature lover’s psalm.
You placed the world on its foundation so it would never be moved (v. 5, NLT).
Fifty years ago, I was walking on a hiking trail in southern Ohio, noticing the absolute beauty of my surroundings, when I saw a young man (in fact, I was young back then) bowing down in front of a fern saying, “How wonderful you are!”
A friend of mine who was walking with me said to this guy, “I see you enjoy nature.” To which he replied, “I don’t enjoy nature; I worship nature.”
Psalm 104 worships the Creator, not the created.
O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty. You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens (vv. 1-2).
Nature has no value in and of itself. If there is no God, all that we see is some sort of cosmic accident. It all appeared from nothing, and at any time, it can all disappear. But Psalm 104 depicts a God who creates and sustains.
O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures (v. 24).
A couple of weeks ago, I revisited that trail in southern Ohio with my family—wife, children, and grandchildren. My entire family hiking together; what a blessing. We later read that this trail in Hocking Hills, Ohio, has been rated the #1 Hiking Trail in America by USA Today.
While hiking, we commented on the streams, the rock formations, and trying not to trip over roots or stumble on slippery rocks. Several times we walked in silence, in a hush of nature found only in pine forests, enjoying the mystical but real presence of God.
You make springs pour water into the ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains (v. 10).
My wife is a photographer. Kudos for her courage in carrying a cumbersome camera on the treacherous trails. (Of course, I kept encouraging her because I wanted a couple of photos for this blog post!!!)
I believe King David’s comments in Psalm 104 describe both God’s creation and my wife’s photographs. . .
May the glory of the Lord continue forever! The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made! (v. 31).
Some love mountains for vacations, while others travel to a beach. Psalm 104 has a verse for each. . .
Mountains:
At your command, the water fled; at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away. Mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed (vv. 7-8).
Oceans:
Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small (v. 25).
I pray that the young man mentioned at the beginning of this blog post came to understand the truth of nature. I hope that all of us do as well.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! (v. 33).
Amen. Peace out!