Jump Start # 3726

Psalms 104:14 “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man.”

Psalms 104 is one of the most beautiful pictures of the love and care that God has for His creation. Expressions such as, “He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind” (3b), “He makes the wind His messengers” (4). From the sea, to the mountains, to the animals, God’s amazing hand is seen in all that He has done. This leads the Psalmist to “sing to the Lord as long as I live” (33).

It is in our verse today, that we see the connections of creation and the abundant and continual care of the Lord. The grass feeds the cattle. Man eats the cattle. Everything has a purpose. Everything is connected to each other.

What we also see in this wonderful picture is that God didn’t finish creation like an artist does a painting. Hours and hours are spent by the artist in front of a canvas. Finally, the painting is done. The artist sets the painting aside. He may hang it in his studio. He may frame it and sell it. If he is recognized nationally, it might hang in a gallery. But the painting is done. The artist moves on to his next project.

God’s not like that. He is never done with His creation. The growing grass, year after year, is for the benefit of the rest of creation. God causes the creeks, rivers and springs to produce water that nourishes the rest of His creation. God is involved constantly with the care of His creation.

Some lessons for us:

First, what we commonly call seasons is actually the hand and purpose of God. We complain about rainy days and snowy nights, but those are the means to water the creation of God. In these cold winter days, it is hard to imagine the growing grass of this coming spring. All the necessary things for that to happen are already in motion. We may not fully understand it all, but God does.

When Jesus told the disciples to say in their prayers to say, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Long before that happened, there was wheat that was planted. That wheat grew. The rains nourished that wheat. It developed until harvest when farmers worked the fields. The grain was taken to a mill. It was sacked up and sold. Someone purchased it and made it, along with other ingredients, into bread. We thank the Lord today for food that the Lord was preparing months ago.

We see that with bread. What about that principle spiritually? On a given Sunday, your preacher has spent hours throughout writing, researching and developing that sermon. We sing hymns that were written hundreds of years before. As we gather to worship, so many things have already happened to make things just the way it is for us.

Second, not only looking backward, but we can see this looking forward. God is awaiting us to join Him in Heaven. The Lord is coming. Things will fall in place that we may never understand today, but someday, we’ll see it. The words of encouragement that you share today, may be something that brings a broken soul to the Lord in coming months. Like planting a small tree, we may never enjoy the shade of that tree, but others will benefit from it.

Third, as God cares for His creation, so must we. Baptism and placing membership is not the end of what we do with each other. It’s just the beginning. Developing hearts. Supporting one another. Loving each other. God didn’t just wind up a clock and walk away. He causes the grass to grow our verse tells us. In Matthew, God sends the sun and the rain upon the world. God is actively involved with His work. He never puts down the paint brush. He never walks away, thinking, “It’s completed.” And, the same must be true of us. Never finished. Never completed. Never satisfied. We must labor until the Lord calls us home.

I planted some grass seed on some bare spots a while back. I see tender grass blades now growing. A new season…

Roger