Introduction

Creation Psalms

While bushwalking one weekend, I saw light glinting from a lovely tree near the edge of a cliff. Moving closer, I discovered dozens of tiny mirrors hanging from its branches. At the base of the tree, animal bones had been carefully arranged. The tableau troubled me and I withdrew to a distance and prayed.

God’s creation is getting some misdirected worship in our society today, whether through pagan religious rituals or scientific zeal to save the planet. Creation is beautiful, inspiring, terrifying, entrancing. We are right to be impressed by it, and to want to protect it. However, we miss the point if we worship the object instead of God who brought the object into existence. The primary value of creation resides in its role as a signpost to point us to the Creator. It is a magnificent visual aid in a continuous worldwide presentation about who God is and what it has to do with us.

The pictures are only half of the presentation, and many people like to come up with an accompanying script that suits them, creating a God they want to believe in. However, God is not created by our imagination or defined by whether or not we believe in him. He decides who he will be, and he hasn’t left us guessing about it – he’s given us the Bible.

This week we delve into some psalms that focus on the created world. These ancient hymns and poems help us appreciate the wonder of creation in the context of the purposes God has for it. Even more, they help us to understand our own place in it all, from the original creation to the ongoing creative work of God in our daily lives.