Praise to God, Our Blessed Creator (Psalm 104, Part 2)

God’s Sustaining Providence (verses 13-23)

¹³He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

¹⁴He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth:

¹⁵wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.

¹⁶The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
¹⁷There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers.
¹⁸The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.

¹⁹He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.
²⁰You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
²¹The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.
²²The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens.
²³Then people go out to their work, to their labor until evening.

In His sustaining providence God fills us with good. He sovereignly rules over all creation, establishing order by His wise administration. We share the earth with domestic animals and wild beasts. God satisfies both body and soul from the earth. At the Lord’s table we enjoy bread and wine, which nourish our spiritual lives.

Praise You, caring God, for Your sustaining providence. Thank You for wine, oil and bread to give us joy and sustain our lives. Thank You for Your Son whom we remember when we eat his body and drink his blood. May our work serve You.