Psalm 65: “…and still preserves them…”
Psalm 65
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
2 O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
3 When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas;
6 the one who by his strength established the mountains,
being girded with might;
7 who stills the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples,
8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.9 You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
Painterly Hibiscus | Cypress, Texas | 2015
We stood and began to say, “I believe in God, the Father…” It was a new experience for me. I was first exposed to the Apostle’s Creed when my best friend, Jerry, took me with him to Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. I was raised in the Christian faith at First Baptist Church so I appreciated the way in which these truths were expressed, “…And in Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord…” The Creed’s “…I believe in the Holy Ghost…” was an enlightening expression of a faith not fully formed in my heart, but very welcomed there nonetheless.
And then I learned even more when I finally agreed to take the class to become a Lutheran, and I learned more fully what these articles of faith mean. I learned about God’s grace even more fully than I ever had before: nothing in me moves him toward me. God moves toward me and you, and cares for all of creation because he is good. His steadfast love endures forever. He is gracious and merciful. He loves us. He shows us that most clearly in Jesus Christ. But it is seen with the eyes of faith in creation as well.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
What does this mean?I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.
This is most certainly true. – Luther’s Small Catechism
What strikes me most about this article of faith is that God not only created the heavens and the earth, but that he continues to care for it in so many ways. The psalmist here expresses a few of those ways.
You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
So much happens because of God’s providential care for the creation we enjoy, and sadly too often abuse. Without him I am certain we would have driven the world to oblivion. Without those who truly do respect the creation litter and pollution would engulf us. But even with the best efforts of the most ardent environmentalists without God’s continuing care our world would be an even greater mess.
And think of this: God does all of this out of his “fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me…” So we join with the psalmist and cry: Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.
This is most certainly true!
David Bahn - Reflections 