Psalm 104 is such an absolutely beautiful psalm. In great description and detail, the psalmist reflects on creation itself; evocative prose and majestic imagery paint the fingerprints of God across all the world He’s fashioned. The choice of words in this psalm is so intentional, so inviting to the reader—it makes my writer heart sing! I can just picture the psalmist seated with quill and scroll, looking off into the distance, beholding glimpses of the very majesty about which he’s writing…then back to scribbling the words down feverishly as just the right adjective or noun occurs to him to make another bold and invocational statement of God’s interaction with His creation.
It’s psalms like these I truly wish every person on the planet would take time to dwell on—believer and non-believer alike. There is so much to the intricacy of the world around us that I think we often miss. Christians can be quick to dismiss the beauty of this world because we know it’s fallen and passing away; and unbelievers are quick to attribute its beauty to mere chance, Mother Earth, or some other force or deity. Yet both err, because neither one looks at the world with the humble awe of this psalmist.
God has done such a magnificent work with His creation! Though it is indeed cursed by man’s choices and the enemy’s hand, those facts do not erase the fingerprints of God—they’re all around us! There’s a reason nature is so good for the soul, why slices of forestry and fauna are often imported into even the most industrial cities. There’s a reason mankind often comes more alive in the springtime, joy blooming with the blossoms all around us. There’s a reason that we feel more mentally stable, emotionally grounded, and brighter overall when we stand outside barefoot in the grass and simply breathe in what our Maker made for us.
We were built to praise God, and part of that praise is in glorying in the majesty of His handiwork. In not just reading the words, but feeling, living, embodying the honor given to Him in places like Psalm 104. What if we went out and sought the beauty of things like the psalmist here describes? What if we looked for ourselves upon the birds and the springs and the grass and the mountains? The sun and moon, the sea—the glory of God!
These are such beautiful things, and often we miss them. But what if we pursued the loveliness of God’s design and made it a point to bask in it, to praise Him by seeking out his fingerprints stamped across this world, to thank Him for providing such beauty even in a world that’s passing away?
When we behold wholeheartedly the majesty of God’s creation, words like those in Psalm 104 are bound to pour out from the bounty of our hearts. So, let’s go out there and pursue the bounty! Let’s fill our cup with Yahweh’s majesty and might, the depth of His detail…and let’s praise Him from the overflow as we witness the incredible work of His hands!
