“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” Psalms 65:8 NIV
Written towards the end of David’s life is this deep appreciation for the way God cares for earth. David’s observation; how fortunate it must be for those who live on “the ends” where the sun rises and falls. Which we know is anyone who just walks outside with a clear view of the east and west!
What a joy it is to burst into singing to God as the sun rises or sit in silence as it sets. I love both! Whether I’m walking, or hiking (when I was younger) or driving directly into the morning sunrise – it is always invigorating and spectacular. Our family has a ritual, once a year on our getaway to Tahoe, to walk down to the lakeshore and watch the sun set over the western hills of the lake. It’s so peaceful and quiet. It’s breathtaking. The day begins and ends in a spectacular array of color and bursts of light across the skies.
David’s reflection of God’s wonder go on in verses 9-13. He details God’s care and sustaining work in keeping the earth healthy in its ecosystem. When I read this psalm it reminds me of two things: One, David’s son Solomon must have gotten his deep appreciation for nature from his Dad. Solomon, in all his wisdom knew everything about botany and zoology. Two, those who love God, who follow Jesus should be the best environmentalists – but not the political use of that word!
We believe God not only created the world, but he put humans in charge of managing it. Christians should be at the forefront of caring for and sustaining the wonder and beauty of the earth. Not to the point of valuing plant and animal life above humans, but to keep a better balance of how we care for the air we breath, the water we drink, the forests we use to build our homes and the way we care for the land and animals we need for food. We should recognize our outpaced obsessions and addictions that harm our planet. We should be better at curbing our wants and desires to be the best caretakers we can be. David did his best to live by God’s own environmental laws, in care of the ecosystem, to honor God. I for one, love clean air, water and food sources!
Prayer
Dad,
You have created and designed such a beautiful place for us to live and enjoy the wonder of this big blue planet. And the spectacular array of light and color from the Sun is beyond words to describe it. Thank you for this wonderful place. Help us God, to be better caretakers of what you have given for us to enjoy. This place may not be our permanent home, but we should leave it better than we arrived here!