Psalm 103 Devotionals: v. 22a

Bless the Lord, all his works, 

in all places of his dominion.

Psalm 103:22a

As the psalm comes to a conclusion, the psalmist makes the all-important affirmation that God is the Creator and has dominion over all. Such a declaration brings Psalm 19:1 to mind: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” The world, and all that is in it, was created by God, and God proclaimed that it was very good (Gen. 1:1, 31). The beauty of the universe magnifies God’s creativity and exalts Him as the majestic designer. It is His kindness which allows everyone to enjoy His handiwork, because the benefits of His general revelation extend to the just and the unjust. In hell, however, these benefits will be taken away from the wicked, but in the meantime, they are used by God to bring man to repentance and into a relationship with Him. No excuse can be made that God has not revealed Himself to all mankind. The apostle Paul makes this clear in his letter to the Romans when he writes, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Creation testifies to the presence of God, and it is the duty of man to respond in worship and adoration.

God not only made creation, but He controls creation. Upon His entry into Jerusalem, Jesus was praised by the people with the refrain, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” The Pharisees complained to Jesus about this, but His response revealed that He was worthy of such praise and that His creation would attest to the same truth: “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:38, 40). God’s dominion is in the heavens and throughout the earth. He created and sustains everything, which magnifies His glory. The pagans assigned gods to specific parts of creation—the sun, the rain, etc. They created each of their gods and served them, hoping for some desired outcome if they satisfied their desires. But Jehovah is not dependent on man for anything, and is not constructed by any man. It is man who needs God for everything, including each breath we take. All the phenomena we see in the natural world humble us with the reminder that we are not in control, but God is.

Before the assembly of the people, King David announced his son Solomon would be king and prayed the blessing, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all” (1 Chron. 29:11). We join creation and bless our Creator with our worship and praise. We have been greatly blessed by God. What a privilege it is to thank Him for everything He has created for us.

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