Enjoying God’s Creation

Psalm 148:1-6

1Praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD from the heavens!

Praise him from the skies!

2Praise him, all his angels!

Praise him, all the armies of heaven!

3Praise him, sun and moon!

Praise him, all you twinkling stars!

4Praise him, skies above!

Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!

5Let every created thing give praise to the LORD,

for he issued his command, and they came into being.

6He established them forever and forever.

His orders will never be revoked.

According to legend, when Francis of Assisi preached, even the birds and animals enjoyed his sermons. Whether that’s true or not, we know this: Saint Francis enjoyed all of God’s creation.

A soldier in his early life, Francis was converted by a vision of Christ. Afterward, he took literally Jesus’ words “Give as freely as you have received!” (Matthew 10:8), much to the displeasure of his father, a wealthy Italian cloth merchant. Wearing a ragged cloak and a rope belt taken from a scarecrow, Francis wandered through the countryside, begging from the rich in order to give to the poor. A group of people soon followed his lead, becoming the Franciscan Order of Friars.

One writer said of him, “With smiles he met the friendless, fed the poor, freed a trapped bird, led home a child.” He wrote sixty hymns of praise and worship, but the one that is best remembered today is his “Canticle to the Sun,” translated as “All Creatures of Our God and King” and based on Psalm 148.

It would seem that if the rest of creation is praising God, maybe we should join creation’s choir today and make it unanimous.

All creatures of our God and King,

Lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou burning sun with golden beam,

Thou silver moon with softer gleam,

O praise him, O praise him! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

FRANCIS OF ASSISI, TRANSLATED BY WILLIAM HENRY DRAPER

Bible Networking

The Bible has much to say about celestial beings praising God. Read Job 38:7; Isaiah 6:2-3; Luke 2:13-14; and Revelation 5:11-12.

Notable Quotable

“This is a Hallelujah chorus, and is something to be listened to and felt. This is a blaze of glory that should be contemplated as a sublime sunrise or sunset, not subjected scientifically to prismatic analysis.”

W. GRAHAM SCROGGIE