Having looked at what the Psalms have to teach us about who God is, we moved on this week to look at how they urge us to thank God for what He has done. Ps 9:1-2 says ‘I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.’ Ps 107:31 says ‘Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.’
Who God is determines what He does, and the Psalms focus in particular on two areas of thanksgiving: God’s wonderful deeds as Creator of our universe and His wonderful deeds in providing for, protecting, delivering and saving people. Tonight, we looked at His wonderful creation.
There are many references in the Psalms to God creating the heavens and earth (see Ps 146:6, Ps 24:1-2, Ps 8, Ps 102:25, Ps 74:13-17, Ps 89:11-13). Many of the Psalms (e.g. Ps 19:1-6, Ps 33:6-9, Ps 104) use poetic imagery (talking of God gathering the waters of the seas into jars, for example, which conjures up for me the picture of a lot of jars when we consider 71% of the earth’s surface is covered in water!) – imagery which helps us to see creation more vividly. Ps 104 talks of God being clothed in splendour and majesty, wrapping Himself in light as in a garment. God’s light is a key facet of His character (see Jn 1:4-5, 1 Jn 1:5, Jn 8:12, Rev:21:23)
Ps 104 looks at God’s creation in stages, echoing the Genesis account of creation. We read of light and dark, the sky being separated from the waters, the complete control God has over waters, plants and animals and so on. God is seen as sustainer (see Heb 1:3) and provider, the source of all that is good (‘wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.’) In all the Psalms which speak of creation testifying of God’s greatness and majesty (see Ps 19:1, Rom 1:20), however, there is never the belief that the Creator and creation are identical. Creation is wonderful, but we are taught to revere and worship God (see Rev 4:11). He is the ‘maker of heaven and earth’ (Ps 121:2) and in view of this, we often feel insignificant (see Ps 8), but our part is to tell of His wonderful deeds and worship Him for all He has made.