Meditation On Psalm 104

Grand Teton Mountains

Today Judy and I hiked in some beautiful mountains in Idaho, to the West of the Grand Teton mountains.  

As I walked I thought of so many places of awesome beauty that we have had the privilege to enjoy in many parts of the world.  Psalm 104 came to mind as this is a psalm I have read as a meditation in numerous places of natural beauty over the years.  

When I got home I went to the Bible I used to carry with me on my travels and re-read Psalm 104.  I found notations in the margins - Nepal, September, 1999; Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, April, 2002; Tanzania, (no date, but I remember the setting well in a game park); the Bolivian Andes, 1998; our farm in Minnesota, May, 2009.. and so on..

We have been so fortunate over the last several weeks to be in the midst of such beauty as Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.  

The psalmist is so much better than I am with words:

you make the clouds your chariot; you ride on the wings of the wind, 

You stretch out the heavens like a tent, 

You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills, giving drink to every wild animal;

the high mountains are for the wild goats; 

These are big horn sheep, but we did see three mountain goats too.

You make the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows it's time for setting;

And so much more... 

I remember one of the most challenging mountain passes I ever hiked over.  It was in the Peruvian Andes and the pass was something like 13,000 feet .. walking to villages of Quechua Indian people that were not accessible by road. What exhilaration I felt that day! A privilege just to be there. 

But today, my feeling was of appreciation that I can still take in God's creation in quiet contemplation, even though my words are inadequate to describe it.  Thankfully, Judy is always ready with the camera to catch an image. 

Read Psalm 104 the next time you feel the urge to meditate on creation...  As the Psalmist concludes:  

I will sing to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him..