The Heart's Cry: Psalm 104

Psalm 104

First off, what in the world is verse 35a doing here? Seriously why did the author feel the need to insert a venomous epitaph to a Psalm of such magnitude? Can God not be powerful if God doesn't wipe out the wicked? Is the creation of the earth insufficient to show the glory of the almighty? Does the author think so lowly of the magnificence of creation that he/she feels the need to add a curse against the wicked? Or did the author feel pressure from the audience or faculty mentor to add in a dig against people who do not follow God the way they do? I obviously don't have an answer, but it raises questions in my mind.

+ Have you ever felt the need to add something to your words or actions or beliefs in order to satisfy someone else?

Second off, we were in Kentucky for part of this weekend and while there we were visiting one of the many caves that the ecology of Kentucky has to offer to the world. There was a rather large rock that we walked around and then went up a path and crossed a bridge, Henry saw the same rock from above and stated that he wanted to walk on it. I told him that he couldn't, to which he replied in the normal vernacular of children, "Why?" I replied in the normal vernacular of adults, "Because I said so." I went on to tell him that we're not supposed to walk on that rock because it is our responsibility to take care of the earth and that means that we don't hurt it anymore than absolutely necessary. Many people would laugh at that statement, some because we humans hurt the earth all the time, and some because 'who cares?' I would tell the first group, "True, but that doesn't mean we need to add to it for insignificant reasons."

I would tell the second group, "Who? Well, I think God for one." God created the world and called it good and then we humans decided that good wasn't good enough and started messing with it. Thousands of years later Jesus says that we shouldn't swear by heaven or by earth because heaven is God's throne and the earth is God's footstool. I don't know about you, but I quite like a footstool or ottoman to rest my feet upon, it gives me comfort, it brings me joy, it makes things a bit easier for me. I think that God made the universe for a reason, and it was a good reason and because it was a good reason than the creation was also good. Moreover I think that the creation is still good, we just fail to recognize it as such, and because it is still God's creation, still God's footstool, we shouldn't be in the business of hurting it, but rather repairing it.

+ How do you think God views the current state of creation? What should our relationship with creation be like, what should be our role?