Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendour and majesty,
covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
he rides on the wings of the wind;
he makes his messengers winds,
his ministers a flaming fire.
He set the earth on its foundations,
so that it should never be moved.
You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they might not again cover the earth.
You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
they give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man’s heart.
The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
In them the birds build their nests;
the stork has her home in the fir trees.
The high mountains are for the wild goats;
the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
He made the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows its time for setting.
You make darkness, and it is night,
when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
When the sun rises, they steal away
and lie down in their dens.
Man goes out to his work
and to his labour until the morning.
O LORD, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, great and wide,
which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great.
There go the ships, and Leviathan,
which you formed to play in it.
These all look to you,
to give them their food in due season.
When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you hide your face,
they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to their dust.
When you send forth your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works,
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke!
I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the LORD.
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more!
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Praise the LORD!
Gracious God and Heavenly Father,
We come to you today in awe of your creation. You have fashioned the earth and the sea, the sky and all the heavenly hosts with your hands. When we contemplate the vastness of your creation with its infinite variety of beautiful landscapes and interesting creatures, we are struck by your power, glory, intelligence, joy, and love for us. Not only do you give us everything that we need to live, but you give us beauty to enjoy. We are struck by your eternal goodness and it gives us confidence in you and your desire to look after us and be with us. When we are plagued with concerns or are ill-at-ease, and we surround ourselves with the natural beauty of your creation, it soothes our souls. We feel close to you and reassured that the designer and sustainer of such a complex and beautiful world will also care for us.
You give us the seasons in nature and different seasons in our lives. Your spirit brings life and causes life to cease. Just as nature is renewed in the spring, we trust in your promise of eternal life and the resurrection of the body at the end of days. We are part of your design and we are so grateful that you are our God, for you are holy, beautiful, loving and altogether worthy of our worship and praise, today and forevermore.
AMEN.