Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary God Pause - Moved by the Promise for Tuesday, 3 June 2014 - Read Psalm 104:24-34

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary God Pause - Moved by the Promise for Tuesday, 3 June 2014 - Read Psalm 104:24 Yahweh, how many are your works!
    In wisdom have you made them all.
    The earth is full of your riches.
25 There is the sea, great and wide,
    in which are innumerable living things,
    both small and large animals.
26 There the ships go,
    and leviathan, whom you formed to play there.
27 These all wait for you,
    that you may give them their food in due season.
28 You give to them; they gather.
    You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.
29 You hide your face: they are troubled;
    you take away their breath: they die, and return to the dust.
30 You send out your Spirit and they are created.
    You renew the face of the ground.
31 Let Yahweh’s glory endure forever.
    Let Yahweh rejoice in his works.
32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles.
    He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live.
    I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
34 Let your meditation be sweet to him.
    I will rejoice in Yahweh.
35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth.
    Let the wicked be no more.
    Bless Yahweh, my soul.
    Praise Yah!(World English Bible)
Some say that they have never been able to worship God on a mountain, or by a stream, or anywhere in nature. I cannot understand why not! The psalmist sees God's handiwork in every facet of our world and life: the earth, the sea, creatures and creeping things, ships and the sporting Leviathan. God's works are manifest in the good things provided for all of creation. But most of all, in the Spirit—the breath of God, the ruach—all things are created and renewed. The psalmist prays, "May the LORD rejoice in his works!" and then imagines, "If the LORD rejoices, so shall I." "I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being ... for I rejoice in the LORD." Sounds like worship to me! Where there is evidence of God's footprint, there is cause for worship. May our voices join the psalmist: "May my meditation be pleasing to the LORD. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!"
Open our eyes, Lord, so that we may see you and your gifts in all that we encounter in your wondrous creation. Amen.
Carol A Solovitz
Pastor, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lakeland, Fla. 
Psalm 104:24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.
27 These all look to you to give them their food in due season;
28 when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works—
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains 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 being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.

35b  Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord!(New Revised Standard Version)
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