Quotidian Wonders

Psalm 136 is a dialogic Psalm in which the second line of each verse is the same: “For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 

The God of lovingkindness is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the Creator of sun, moon, stars, sea, and sky. He delivered Israel from Egypt, defeated kings like Sihon and giants like Og of Bashan and gave their land to Israel. He continues to remember and rescue His people.

The Psalm ends with: “Who gives food to all flesh.” It seems a letdown: After all the signs and wonders, we sing of God the baker and table servant, God the cosmic zookeeper.

It’s not a letdown. It’s the crescendo of the Psalm. All the wonders of God – creation, exodus, conquest – aim at this end, to seat us at table where He prepares and gives food to all flesh.

He creates the world as food. He delivers slaves to feed them manna in the wilderness. He gives Israel land so they can enjoy its fruit.

Don’t wish you could have been among the sons of God singing the dawn of creation, or that you could have seen the miracles of exodus and conquest. 

We =see wonders every day. Of all God’s signs and wonders, none is so wonderful as the quotidian wonder of a table full of good things.