Devotional for March 25

St. Paul's UMC - Etowah, Tennessee

Read Psalms 104-106

 

Psalm 104 (Young’s Literal Translation)

 

¹ Bless, O my soul, Jehovah! Jehovah, my God, Thou hast been very great, Honour and majesty Thou hast put on. ² Covering himself [with] light as a garment, Stretching out the heavens as a curtain,³ Who is laying the beam of His upper chambers in the waters, Who is making thick clouds His chariot, Who is walking on wings of wind, ⁴ Making His messengers -- the winds, His ministers -- the flaming fire. ⁵ He hath founded earth on its bases, It is not moved to the age and forever. ⁶ The abyss! as with clothing Thou hast covered it, Above hills do waters stand. ⁷ From Thy rebuke they flee, From the voice of Thy thunder haste away. ⁸ They go up hills -- they go down valleys, Unto a place Thou hast founded for them. ⁹ A border Thou hast set, they pass not over, They turn not back to cover the earth. ¹⁰ Who is sending forth fountains in valleys, Between hills they go on.

¹¹ They water every beast of the field, Wild asses break their thirst. ¹² By them the fowl of the heavens doth dwell, From between the branches They give forth the voice. ¹³ Watering hills from His upper chambers, From the fruit of Thy works is the earth satisfied. ¹⁴ Causing grass to spring up for cattle, And herb for the service of man, To bring forth bread from the earth, ¹⁵ And wine -- it rejoiceth the heart of man, To cause the face to shine from oil, And bread -- the heart of man it supporteth.¹⁶ Satisfied [are] the trees of Jehovah, Cedars of Lebanon that He hath planted, ¹⁷ Where birds do make nests, The stork -- the firs [are] her house. ¹⁸ The high hills [are] for wild goats, Rocks [are] a refuge for conies, ¹⁹ He made the moon for seasons, The sun hath known his place of entrance. ²⁰ Thou settest darkness, and it is night, In it doth every beast of the forest creep.

²¹ The young lions are roaring for prey, And to seek from God their food. ²² The sun riseth, they are gathered, And in their dens they crouch. ²³ Man goeth forth to his work, And to his service -- till evening. ²⁴ How many have been Thy works, O Jehovah, All of them in wisdom Thou hast made, Full is the earth of thy possessions. ²⁵ This, the sea, great and broad of sides, There [are] moving things -- innumerable, Living creatures -- small with great. ²⁶ There do ships go: leviathan, That Thou hast formed to play in it. ²⁷ All of them unto Thee do look, To give their food in its season. ²⁸ Thou dost give to them -- they gather, Thou dost open Thy hand -- they [are] satisfied [with] good. ²⁹ Thou hidest Thy face -- they are troubled, Thou gatherest their spirit -- they expire, And unto their dust they turn back. ³⁰ Thou sendest out Thy Spirit, they are created, And Thou renewest the face of the ground.

³¹ The honour of Jehovah is to the age, Jehovah rejoiceth in His works, ³² Who is looking to earth, and it trembleth, He cometh against hills, and they smoke. ³³ I sing to Jehovah during my life, I sing praise to my God while I exist. ³⁴ Sweet is my meditation on Him, I -- I do rejoice in Jehovah. ³⁵ Consumed are sinners from the earth, And the wicked are no more. Bless, O my soul, Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah!