Sweet Meditations

I trust you’ve been enjoying this journey through the poetic creation week. We have only touched on one or two points each day that have led our thoughts to Christ, but there is so much more to meditate on in your own devotions.

Days Five & Six

‘this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts … These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.’ (v25-28)

The psalmist has already mentioned a variety of land animals and birds. Now he makes mention of the sea creatures, and bringing together all of the animal kingdom created on days five and six, he says: ‘these all wait upon thee’.

The point he is making is that they are completely dependent upon their Creator to provide for them. And so should we, for the Lord Jesus says: ‘Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat … Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?’ (Luke 12:22-24)

How ironic, that with all the capabilities God has bestowed upon man, we can be the most anxious of God’s creation. O, that we would learn to fully depend upon our God, that we too may be ‘filled’, ‘satisfied’. Remember how the Lord could take just 5 loaves and 2 small fish, and feed a multitude of over 5000 until they ‘were all filled’ (Luke 9:17). He indeed is our ‘Good Shepherd’, who will make us to ‘lie down in green pastures’ (Psa 23:2).

Day Six & Seven

‘My meditation of him shall be sweet’ (v34)

And so we come to the pinnacle of God’s creation, man himself, not the earthly, frail man, Adam, but that second Man, the heavenly Man, Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is appropriate to apply the above phrase of v34, that the psalmist uses in praise of Jehovah, to the I AM of the Gospel record. 

In the last section, we thought dependence upon God, and in this section, we want to think about devotion to God: ‘I will sing unto the Lord’ (v33). In both cases, we must direct our minds to that Perfect, Unfailing Man, who was always dependent upon, and ever devoted to, God His Father.

Indeed, we could even apply this phrase to the Father’s appreciation of His Son, for as He would look from heaven upon such a life of dependence and devotion, truly His ‘meditation of Him’ was ‘sweet’. For Christ’s life truly was a living burnt offering, from which rose a ‘sweet savour unto the LORD’ (Lev 1:9).

How thankful we are for those occasions when the heavens were opened, and God’s voice could be heard, giving us an insight into His appreciation of His Son: ‘this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’ (Matt 3:17, 17:5).

The One who is the object of the Father’s appreciation, ought to the object of ours as well. There is nothing sweeter in this world than to meditate upon the sinless Son of God, whose dependence and devotion are a perfect example for us all. Consider Christ’s own words on this matter:

‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise … That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him’ (John 5:19,23).

‘Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him … I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do’ (John 17:1-4).

Let us listen to the exhortation of Scripture, and determine to follow Christ’s example in devotion and dependence:

‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God’ (Roms 13:1,2)