Don’t you love how the psalmist paints the words in this psalm: hills “gird” themselves with joy, meadows “clothe” themselves with flocks, valleys “deck” themselves with grain, and “together” they shout and sing for joy!
In 2007, I was standing quietly in the ruins of the village of Sepphoris, not far from Nazareth. Surrounding this place is the beauty of the Jezreel Valley. Beside me were cactus trees, some almost eight feet tall, with flowers of vivid red, orange and yellow. The Jezreel Valley was lush and green with crops ripening in the fields, rolling hills abounded, and sheep grazed on the slopes. The sky was bright blue with wispy angel clouds.
In some ways, this was a call to worship, in the beautiful, delicious silence of that moment. One could hear creation shout and sing together for joy. This was a call to give thanks for all that God provides for us.
Today, the psalmist invites us to step into God’s silence, to join creation in joy, in those moments of awe, when the sheer beauty of creation around us takes our breath away.
Gracious Creator, it really doesn't take much for us to be humbled, for your good creation around us abounds with beauty, splendour, love and awe. Thank you for gifting and blessing us daily. Amen. — DS