Dear brethren I realize this is a long Psalm and a long devotion but I think daily awareness 24/7 of the amazing work of the Creator and the Glory of His Creation and everything He lovingly does for us is most certainly a great foundational joy to be meditated upon more often than not! Be blessed! Not stressed! Deus Vult!
Psalm 104
English Standard Version
O Lord My God, You Are Very Great
104 Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor a... moreDear brethren I realize this is a long Psalm and a long devotion but I think daily awareness 24/7 of the amazing work of the Creator and the Glory of His Creation and everything He lovingly does for us is most certainly a great foundational joy to be meditated upon more often than not! Be blessed! Not stressed! Deus Vult!
Psalm 104
English Standard Version
O Lord My God, You Are Very Great
104 Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
2 covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
he rides on the wings of the wind;
4 he makes his messengers winds,
his ministers a flaming fire.
5 He set the earth on its foundations,
so that it should never be moved.
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you appointed for them.
9 You set a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they might not again cover the earth.
10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
11 they give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
15 and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man's heart.
16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 In them the birds build their nests;
the stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;
the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons;[a]
the sun knows its time for setting.
20 You make darkness, and it is night,
when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they steal away
and lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to his work
and to his labor until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Here is the sea, great and wide,
which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships,
and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.[b]
27 These all look to you,
to give them their food in due season.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth your Spirit,[c] they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works,
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke!
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more!
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
So often I meander through life taking much for granted. And the day becomes a monotony of sleep, rise, work, repeat. It can seem like drudgery at times. Psalm 104 is a great meditative and reflective psalm heralding the amazing Glory of the Lord and how everything we see, everything we sense with our senses and all creation vibrantly sings out with joy at His creation and He has gifted us with such wonders! I don’t want to take this for granted anymore! Life is a gift! After three near death experiences this past year I felt the power of this Psalm and lived in joy for months and then the weariness of the material world seems to remove the joy and the gifts are soon forgotten, or maybe not as thought upon with joy as previously. And our God given talents and abilities have been given to us for the sole purpose of bringing glory to HIM! Corny as the expression may be we are privileged indeed to ‘stop and smell the roses!’ And as Templars it is our sworn duty to help bring others into the Light and out of the darkness. And share the Good News always! I pray we are all bold for Christ going strong into the weekend, enjoy a sabbath rest and feel fresh and renewed energy to honor our commitments to our loving Triune God! Amen brethren! The original Templars were responsible for safeguarding pilgrims through the Holy Land to worship and Praise the Lord. We do the same today in our respective churches and communities and workplaces safeguarding them and bringing the world to Christ Jesus. Guardians of The Light. Deus Vult!
CAA Michael Loos Sr.
Priory of St. Michael the Archangel
Fides Et Veritas
