“He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord” (vs32-34).
The Lord is the Sustainer and Creator of all things. He is the reason that we have life and food, caring for every living creation, so that we're WISE to praise the Lord and love Him for what He does for us. He says, “I will be glad in the Lord”, and, “Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain” (vs1-2). We don't look at ourselves or others, as if we're the reason for our sustenance, but we acknowledge God's provisions - His gentle and good hand. He cares for us COMPLETELY.
It is unwise to glory as if we are God and have saved ourselves, as if we are the reason that we experience good. We are not. He says, “He sends the springs into the valleys; they flow among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. By them the birds of the heavens have their home; they sing among the branches. He waters the hills from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works” (vs10-13). Acknowledge Him, and humility and praise will clothe you.
I'm recently engaged and remarked to my fiance', as I thought about strangers coming up to us and commenting that we are a nice couple, etc, that part of what has drawn them to us is the fact that we're humble in our love, rather than cocky. He says, “O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions – This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great. There the ships sail about; there is that Leviathan which You have made to play there” (vs24-26). We acknowledge that God has brought us together, He makes it work, and without Him, we'd be devilish, hateful, and lost (Prov 19:14). We love each other, not because we are great, but because God has given us to each other, and the love that we share is thankfulness to Him. He says, “These all wait for You, that You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth” (vs27-30). Let this mind govern us in all that we do. Provision, and therefore praise, is from God and to Him.
Finally, we are ANTI-sinners as well (vs35)! He says, “May sinners be consumed from the earth, and the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord”. This isn't hatred; it is hating the false way and refusing to side with ungratefulness. Sinners hate God and despise His gifts. They take His air, water, and food, being cared for by Him, and yet they refuse to say, “Thanks” by how they live. They act as if they did everything themselves, giving credit to some other force, rather than the Lord Jesus Christ, and we're right to say, “I'll have no part of this. This is wrong.” You're bothered by thanklessness, like seeing a child who takes with no regard to the giver, or seeing a woman who walks around as if she's owed everything she gets. This isn't a gracious spirit; it is foul, and like God, we abhor it.
What do you have that you didn't receive? Then why boast as if you acquired it yourself? Paul says, “Now these things (about sowing and reaping but God giving the increase), brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it” (1 Cor 4:6-7).
What do you need that God won't provide? Then why worry and fret as if there is another source? Sinners shamefully leave the gospel for money and joy, refusing Christ as their Giver and Protector. They desire good homes, children, and health, but they won't look to God's hand and thank Him for such blessings.
What do you have? Praise Him. What do you need? Look to Him.
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