Living Things both Great and Small

 

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 open your hand, they are filled with good things. (Psalm 104:24-28 ESV).

 

You cannot take the loop through Cades Cove without seeing wildlife. While Mary and I were there recently we saw some wild turkeys browsing through the grass. I took the picture attached while two Eastern gobblers casually went about their search for something to eat. You may find it interesting to know that in North America, there is one wild turkey species, Meleagris Gallopavo, but it is divided into five recognized subspecies: Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande, Merriam's, and Gould's. Each has a slight difference in appearance and habit. I’ve seen three of the five in the wild. They are strangely beautiful, especially when the gobblers are in full strut with their tails fanned. While not the smallest or largest of birds, they have their place in our wonderful world.  

 

This vast diversity is a beautiful part of God’s creation, as our reading shows. In his wisdom God made so many different animals and plants that we haven’t been able to count them all. And in his wisdom God made many different cultures and people as well. This psalm uses poetry to tell about the powerful and beautiful way God made the world. It invites us to praise God for such diverse beauty and for creating the world in the best way possible.

 

Each of us brings our own type of beauty to the world. The distinctive gobble of the Eastern turkey that breaks the early morning silence is quite different than the melodious coo of a Morning Dove though both are incredibly beautiful. God combines with each species’ huge variety of sounds to create beauty in this world. In all these ways God displays his love for his creation. We should learn an important truth from this. We are also very diverse as humans. There is great beauty in each of us as He has planned and purposed each of us to be a part of a world that is so beautiful and diverse! Praise Him for that!