“And God Saw Everything That He Had Made … It Was Very Good”

Faith, Character, and Choices

Christian faith is about spirituality and character. As for spirituality and character, they are about how we love God and our neighbors, which means how we have fellowship with God and with others, hence involving how we care for the environment, which belongs to God, and how we cherish the world our neighbors inhabit. Our choices reflect our character and every choice has consequences. Our choices can bring destruction to other creatures, and when other creatures are threatened, we are also threatened because all creation is mutually dependent for survival.

Our character and choices are subject to our faith. Faith shapes our character and affects our choices. What do we believe in? We believe that God is the Creator and we see the world He created as a gift. As a faith community, we should not take God’s gift lightly; instead, we should appreciate, enjoy and love His creation. We must have a grateful heart for God’s gift and thank Him for giving us a beautiful world.

The World in the Eyes of a Psalmist

Faith affects how we view everything in the universe.

Psalm 104 is a hymn of thanksgiving and praise. On behalf of the faith community, the psalmist expresses gratitude and praise to God for His wonderful creation. The psalm can be divided into seven sections.

In the first section (vv. 1-4), the psalmist praises God in heaven. God is the King in heaven, covering Himself with splendor, majesty, dignity, and light. He created the heavens, rode on clouds and winds, and sent lightning and winds to carry out His will.

In the second section (vv. 5-9), the psalmist directly talks about the creation of the earth. The Lord made the earth stand on its foundations, separated the earth and the water, and spread the water over the earth.

The third section (vv. 10-13) mentions water nourishing the earth. Springs gush out, flow through valleys, and nourish the whole earth. The earth rejoices in the flowing water; trees are watered and grow; animals come to drink the water, and birds build nests by it.

The fourth section (vv. 14-23) depicts, in a more direct way, God’s provision for the earth’s needs. Grass grows for cattle, plants are for humans to eat, oil makes their faces shine, and wine makes their hearts happy. High mountains allow goats to run and jump on them; the land covered with rocks provides a home and play area for the rock badger. The moon marks the seasons. When the sun sets, darkness comes, and animals come out and move around; when the sun rises, animals retreat, and humans ascend the stage until the evening.

The fifth section (vv. 24-26) is the psalmist’s praise to God. He praises the diversity and wonder of God’s creation: the vast sea is filled with a variety of creatures; Leviathan, a deep sea monster, plays in the sea, flapping its huge tail.

In the sixth section (vv. 27-30), the psalmist talks about the creatures on earth, which are all dependent on God for life.

In the seventh section (vv. 31-35), the psalmist sings and praises God for the world, which manifests His glory, and prays that sins be removed from it.

The World in God’s Eyes

Let us compare Psalm 104 with Genesis 1 to see what they have in common. In Genesis 1, we see that before creation, the world was chaotic waters; God brought order out of this chaos. God said, “Let there be,” and it was so, and everything created was very good.

… And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. … the first day.
　　And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”… the second day.
　　And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.”… And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation … each according to its kind, on the earth.” … the third day.
　　And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. … and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” … the fourth day.
　　And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” … the fifth day.
　　Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” … And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. … the sixth day. (Gn 1:3-31)

Both Genesis 1 and Psalm 104 describe the world in God’s eyes a number of times. Both acknowledge that everything God “saw” was “very good” (Gn 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25); “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Gn 1:31). Although Psalm 104 does not use the word “good” directly, the psalmist’s praise indicates that God’s creation was “exceedingly good.” The psalmist invites the readers to join him in seeing this world and experiencing the beauty of God and the world that He has created.

The Evil and Goodness of the World

However, do people really see “everything” that is good in the eyes of God and the psalmist? When we look at this world, do we only see chaos, suffering, and evil? Is this world not full of indifference, cruelty, deprivation, and destruction? In fact, the writer of this psalm also sees the reality of chaos, suffering, and evil, realizing the fragility of life. The psalmist talks about lions searching for prey (v. 21); he also points out that fear and death are common realities among humans and animals, “…they die and return to their dust” (v. 29). Furthermore, he sees the destruction of earthquakes and volcanoes (v. 32), and mentions the existence of “sinners” and “the wicked” (v. 35). Therefore, the psalmist is definitely neither ignorant nor naive, ignoring the evil and suffering of the world.

However, the psalmist calls on those who see the world as full of chaos, suffering, and evil to take a fresh look at it and invites them to see the beauty of “everything,” the beauty of “everything” as God sees it (Gn 1:31). When we can see the beauty of this world through God’s eyes, we cannot help but sing with joy and praise God:

　　Bless the LORD, O my soul!
　　　　O LORD my God, you are very great! …
　　O LORD, how manifold are your works!
　　　　In wisdom have you made them all;
　　　　the earth is full of your creatures. …
　　May the glory of the LORD endure forever …
　　I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
　　　　I will sing praise to my God while I have being. …
　　Bless the LORD, O my soul!
　　　　Praise the LORD! (Ps 104:1, 24, 31, 33, 35)

The psalmist invites readers to see the world with God’s eyes, to “see everything” with God (Gn 1:31), and to see the beauty of the world.

This Is the Father’s World

In particular, the psalmist urges us to observe nature, study it, and look for God’s imprint in it. The psalmist says: “O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” (v. 24). He also says, “There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it” (v. 26). Leviathan is a sea monster associated with chaotic forces (Ps 74:14; Jb 41:1-34), but here it has become God’s toy! Leviathan, the fierce sea monster, leaps and swims leisurely in the sea like a whale in the presence of God (Ps 104:26).

Therefore, humans must open their hearts to the God who can tame this sea monster, and learn to see “everything” in the world through the eyes of God and the psalmist. When one sees all of this and its beauty, the chaos, suffering, and evil in the world will pale into insignificance. Even in the abyss of the world and in its complexities, we can see the miracles of God; in all this chaos, pain, and evil, we can see deeper goodness. So we must see this world of the Father with eyes of goodness, and celebrate it all with a joyful and praising heart. Finally, we can rejoice and sing with the psalmist (v. 34) and praise God, saying: “Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!” (v.35b) Seeing the beauty of all creation as God sees it is our first step toward loving nature. Our love for the natural world begins with our love for God and for everything.

We and Nature

However, do we love nature? Have there been any stories or moments in our lives that are related to nature? Recall the times when we strolled alone in the fields and rocks, jumped along the creek, or fished or climbed mountains with friends, hiking at night together and gazing at the stars in the sky. If you have ever climbed a mountain, you will find that it is a sacred place that can amaze us. The Holy One is there. These memories of our connection with nature can bring us peace.

However, an indisputable fact is that, unknowingly, we are becoming more and more detached from nature; it is as if we have lost touch with it. The world is no longer the same as it was when we were children. At some point, we struggled in our academic or professional pursuits, hurrying through life, burying ourselves in the concrete jungle, unable to see the sky above us, and the surrounding ocean and trees. We have gradually lost our connection to and appreciation of nature.

In The Singing Wilderness, Sigurd Olson talks about a camping experience where he saw a mouse climbing up his tent. The mouse desperately climbed up, exhausting all its strength to reach the top, and then slid down the smooth surface of the tent to the ground. It repeated this process of climbing and sliding until it mastered the technique with proficiency. The mouse was immersed in this novel experience and spread its limbs when sliding down. Olson wrote, “As I lay there, I became convinced that the mouse was enjoying itself hugely, that I was witnessing an activity that had no purpose but pleasure.” He also said, “And I knew that if humans could abandon themselves as my dear mouse had done and slide down the face of the earth in the moonlight once a month or once a year, perhaps it would be good for their souls.”

Love the World That Manifests the Glory of God

Truly, the psalmist is right in Psalm 104: how can you not love this world when you see it? Look at the vast oceans and the sea creatures frolicking in them; look at the moonlit forest, where a mouse slides down the tent again and again with a joyful look on its face. These sights invite us into the heart of God. This is our Father’s world indeed, worthy of praise and our utmost protection. We protect this world because we know it is our Father’s world; like God, we “see everything he has made … and it is very good.” Caring for nature begins with love. Knowing all the beauty of the world is the first step to loving nature.

May we, like God, see everything He has made as “very good” so that we can take good care of nature. May we immerse ourselves more in the embrace of nature, and run with friends and family to the mudflats and mid-levels, where we can open our hearts to God, thereby inspiring our gratitude to and love for God, embracing all creation, and connecting with our Creator.

* This article is adapted from the writer’s speech delivered at our chapel service (February 28, 2023). All scripture quotations are taken from the ESV.

May 2023