The Generosity of Our Great God
Psalm 104:10-23; 27-30
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.
12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home; 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.
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.
Psalm 104 is an awesome psalm that helps us celebrate the glory of our Creator and the incredible greatness of His creation. God created everything with a plan and for a purpose and that includes you and me! Real success in life is not becoming rich, powerful, or famous, but true success is fulfilling the purpose for which God created us, which is for His glory. As we look at verses 1-9, we see the greatness of our God in His creation. Now in verses 10-23 and 27-30, we will see the generosity of our God and how He planned everything in His creation with a place and a purpose.
God did not wind up the clock of creation and then let it run down, for the tenses of the verbs indicate that God is constantly at work, meeting the needs of His creatures. Note the emphasis on water, both the springs (v. 10) and the rain (v. 13), for water is a precious commodity in the Near East. The "mountains" (v. 13) refer to the upland regions where the grain grows (76:16; Deut. 11:10-12). God supplies not only water for vegetation but also food for the birds and animals (vv. 14, 21, 27-28), and the plants and animals provide food for the people. God uses the cooperation of the farmers and herdsmen to provide this food (v. 14; Gen. 2:8-15; Ex. 20:9), but ultimately He is the giver. Wine, oil, and bread were basics in the life of the people in biblical days. The wine was diluted with water and drunkenness was not acceptable (Judg. 9:13 and Eccl. 10:19). Wine, oil, and water are symbols of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18; John 7:37-39; Zech. 4:1-7;), and bread speaks of the nourishing Word of God (Matt. 4:4). God has written spiritual truths into the very world of nature.
But without the days, nights, and seasons, there could not be fruitfulness on earth, and therefore the psalmist praises God for the sun and moon (see Gen. 1:14-19). The Hebrew religious calendar was built around the seasons (Lev. 23), and there were special monthly celebrations as well (Ex. 12:2; Num. 10:10; 28:14; 1 Chron. 23:31). Without the cycle of day and night and of the seasons, life would come to a halt. "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (Eccl. 3:1).
All of creation looks expectantly to the Lord to provide what it needs (vv. 27-30), and He does so generously. However, how sad it is that people made in the image of God think they can "make it" alone. Yet God provides the very breath in our nostrils, and when He turns it off, we die (Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7). On the first day of creation, the Holy Spirit brooded over the waters (Gen. 1:1-2), and that same Spirit gives new life to creation when the winter season ends (v. 30). The Spirit also provides life and power to the church, God's "new creation." Mankind has learned to control a great deal of nature, but the issues of life and death are still in the hands of God.
How generous God is to a world that ignores Him, rebels against Him, and rarely gives thanks for His generous gifts! God is so good to us every day as these passages also testify, Job 34:14-15; Acts 17:25-28; Col. 1:17.
My friend, you can trust the LORD to meet every need in your life today! He cares for you!
God bless!