December 2
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GOD’S PROVISION FOR HIS CREATION
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the labor of mankind,
So that they may produce food from the earth,
15 And wine, which makes a human heart cheerful,
So that he makes his face gleam with oil,
And food, which sustains a human heart.
16 The trees of the LORD drink their fill,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17 Where the birds build their nests,
And the stork, whose home is the juniper trees.- Psalm 104:14-17
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According to a commentary, the psalmist continued his thoughts on nature, seeing how God provides grass for animals and vegetation for the service of man. Spurgeon says “Divine power is as truly and as worthily put forth in the feeding of beasts as in the nurturing of man; watch but a blade of grass with a devout eye and you may see God at work within it.” God designed the ecology of the world so that with work, man may bring forth food. Under God’s blessing and man’s work, the food brought forth is wonderful. God’s earth gives us wine, oil, and bread – each with their own blessing and goodness.
Clarke comments on verse 15 that “Wine, in moderate quantity, has a wondrous tendency to revive and invigorate the human being. Ardent spirits exhilarate, but they exhaust the strength; and every dose leaves man the worse. Unadulterated wine, on the contrary, exhilarates and invigorates: it makes him cheerful, and provides for the continuance of that cheerfulness by strengthening the muscles, and bracing the nerves. This is its use. Those who continue drinking till wine inflames them, abuse this mercy of God.” In verse 16, The psalmist had a vision of how healthy and vigorous nature is. He thought of the mighty cedars of Lebanon and how, in their sap-filled health, they give a place where the birds make their nests. They are the trees of the LORD in the sense that no human hand planted them; He planted these mighty trees.
What a wonderful tribute to God’s provision! He thinks of every detail. He always has humans and other creatures in his mind and ensures that they are all cared for. I love trees and each time I look at them, I marvel at God’s wondrous creation.
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REFLECTION
• How can we develop a grateful attitude towards God’s provisions?