Scripture
(Psalm 19:1-4a)
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal
power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from
what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
(Romans 1:20)
Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed
with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches
out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their
waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.
He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth
on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with
a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters
fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the
mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them.
You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.
He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains.
They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their
thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.
He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the
fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to
cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth:wine that gladdens the heart
of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. The trees
of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the
birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees. The high mountains
belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys. The moon marks
off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes
night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return
and lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until
evening. How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth
is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with
creatures beyond number—living things both large and small. There the
ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. These
all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it
to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with
good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away
their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they
are created, and you renew the face of the earth. May the glory of the LORD
endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works—he who looks at the
earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing
to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May
my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. But may sinners
vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Praise the LORD
(Psalm 104).
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version.
Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
