Psalm 105 – 107
Verse 105:2 makes me wonder how much the “science age” has hurt us:
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
How often do we actually get amazed at God’s works? Today there is an explanation for just about every amazing thing that happens. From childbirth to a sunset, most events can be explained in enough detail as to take God out of the equation. We accept evolution as “God’s” way of making man without thinking how the eye came about. Sunsets are about the only canvas God has that makes us pause, just look at how many are posted on Instagram,
Verse 106:1 is very similar to the verse 107:1 by giving thanks first:
Praise the LORD!
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures for ever!
We need to really ponder this statement, because it has become a line in many songs and almost a cliché. Praise the Lord is something I know I do rarely. I “worship” the Lord in song. Now there is a fine line between the two words and what we consider “worship” is actually “praise” and vice versa. To “praise” is to speak or sing words to honor God, where “worship” is more an act which often includes “praise”. I believe “worship” is more submission to God’s honor. So I need to correct my statement and I do “praise” but find it difficult to “worship”.
How often do we really give thanks for everything God has done? We sit in our daily mess, be it work related, relational or personal, something always seems to be going wrong. Some we have influenced but others we just hope for the best. With all this going on, we tend to set God aside until things change for the better and THEN we give thanks. How about this, life is what it is and will always have its ups and downs. Learn to give thanks on both the high and lows!!
The idea God loves us is amazing, but to think how long that love has lasted is mind boggling. Unconditional love is an easy concept to understand, especially after having children. But forever is where things get odd, God transcends time, and has always existed. We tend to think of time as having an end, but in reality it just keeps on going even though our bodies may cease to exist. That is the mind boggling part when you really think about it.
Verse 107:33 – 34 gives me great concern:
33 He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the evil of its inhabitants.
I look at the cause and wonder when our nation will become a “salty waste”. We look at the ruins of once mighty nations and wonder why. I am sure when they were at their peak, they figured they would be forever. Look at the ruins of the Roman Empire, the Greeks, the Egyptian or the Israelites. Yes these mighty nations may be occupied by something similar, but nowhere near their former glory seen in the ruins. Take Israel who now occupies the “Promised Land” again, but were taken some 2500 years ago.
Look to modern times and the former USSR. For those of us who knew this great evil empire, in October of 1989 not one of us thought it would fall without a bloody battle. Thirty days later it dissolved. Who saw that coming? So don’t think that this great nation that was founded on freedom cannot become a “salty waste”.