Weekly Devotional 30th of August, 2024
by Bruce Billington
Weekly Devotional 30th of August, 2024
We are continuing to explore the knowledge of God as expressed in the Psalms. This week we will continue with Psalm 104 by an unknown author.
Psalm 104:24 – “O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions.”
The Psalmist considers how the creation of God works to provide life and sustenance to birds, wild goats, the beasts of the forest, and how they respond to the day and night. He has pondered on minerals, vegetables and animals and as he does, he is astounded. He then declares what is the only conclusion possible – as the above verse states. It is the result of God’s work, wisdom and possessions.
As we look out and consider His creation, we also should be in awe. Each separate class is different from the others and the number of them is beyond anything science can number, even after thousands of years of research. These works have abided over the ages, although some come and go in a day and others live for many ages. They stand as testimony that God is the great worker and the Ordainer and Master of variety. Considering this the apostle Paul said,
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made… (Romans 1:20).
We are given the privilege and the responsibility not only to study His great works but we also have been given the role of stewarding them with Him. In Genesis He said,
Genesis 1:27-30 – “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth. 29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.”
Tragically humanity has failed to realise this, and this has cost us dearly. We have been too slow to realise that every link is essential to the chain of nature and has some degree of dependency on the others. Speaking of this Spurgeon said,
Wild beasts as much as men, poisons as truly as odoriferous herbs. They are wisely made—each one fits its place, fills it, and is happy in so doing. As a whole, the “all” of creation is a wise achievement, and however it may be chequered with mysteries, and clouded with terrors, it all works together for good, and as one complete harmonious piece of workmanship it answers the great Worker’s end.
But despite what we are told, the earth today is still full of His riches (many of which remain hidden). This earth is not a poor house; it is a palace. God has not set His creatures down in a dwelling place where the table is certainly not bare. He has filled the earth with an abundance of all things, including extravagant riches, luxuries, beauties, and treasures.
But to produce and benefit from all that it has, it must be worked to His plan and for His purposes. And here is the challenge that remains for humanity today – not so much climate change and a claimed sparsity of resources, but a return to stewarding them as God has intended and still requires. At this point, they will cooperate with us.
This requires wisdom, and guess to whom this is given? The Scriptures tell us that it is given to those who fear God (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; James 1:5). This is us, and creation waits longingly for us to rise and release it from bondage Romans 8:19. This is a major part of the work we should be about. What should that mean to you?
God bless you.
Bruce Billington