A few years ago an unusual book made the best seller list. It was nothing more than a book of lists. Lists of top ten movies, lists of the most prosperous companies, lists of all kinds. It seems that people are fascinated with the wealth of man made information. There are people who can remember the details of every baseball card ever printed. Then there are even crazier nuts who can number and summarize all of the American Army divisions created since World War One.

In the Middle Ages at the beginning of the scientific era, the early printers began to assemble books of lists. One of these became the basis for tabulation of the various species in the animal world. Some mythical beasts like the unicorn and griffith were included along with much worthless observations and misunderstandings. So it goes with human attempts to completely comprehend the glories of God's magnificent creation.

It is well that we learn from our the first verse in our psalm section today the proper focus upon the glories of God's work in creation. Varied and multitudinous is the vast variety of creation. One author suggests that the measurments of Noah's Ark may indicate a much larger passenger list than we can now imagine. In the last two decades biologists have found enough new insects in the tree tops of the Amazon to multiply the known species by one fourth.

This psalm of lists as we may call it, celebrates this great and grand diversity of created species even while it reminds us that all of creation depends ultimately upon our Creator. In verse twenty-five we see revealed the reality of the numberless creatures of the sea.

The psalmist mentions the small and the large from algae to leviathan. Of course our psalmist's vision includes the shipping of his present and compares their movements to those of the great sea creatures. Are these leviathan mere whales? If so we have only to remember the assorted television shows of whales at play. Or perhaps you have had closer views of Shamu and his kin at Sea World? We know from specialized recordings that the ocean is filled with whale songs as they send their messages thousands of miles through the thermal layers of the ocean. Once scientist, much to the chagrin of his friends, even observed that some of their songs might be performed for the sheer joy of being alive.

Perhaps, leviathan is another species whose sphere the ships have invaded? Sailors have always had tall tales to tell and within the last fifteen years a Japanese fishing boat caught and photographed a very large unusual creature in their nets. We have not seen its kind in this century!

In the next division of this psalm, verse twenty-seven reminds us that all of these creatures look to the Lord for providing their daily bread, worms or other appropriate fair. Eagerly like gold fish in large ponds they snap up the crumbs that are given to them.

One summer when I was in Florida at a church planting conference, we ate breakfast over a lagoon. We were allowed to feed bits of toast, biscuits and such to the large population of fish. One morning I watched a four foot gator amble up the pathway to the Lagoon as the breakfast nook was called. He dived into the water. Their was much thrashing and bashing as he invited some fish to breakfast. After he was through, he climbed out and took off for the remoter parts of the golf course. After all, he had a job to do, he was one of the course hazards.

These gators were almost hunted to extinction earlier in this century, now they are a protected species. And Wally, as this particular gator was called was tolerated. Once he gets bigger, they may have to start counting their golfers population instead of their goldfish. He like thousands of other gators have imitated the deer in Ohio. They have multiplied beyond number as the Lord has renewed our wild animal population in our time.

In our day we are taking a greater interest in preserving the species which have survived into our time. Suddenly people are concerned for all of the wrong reasons to keep the number of species from declining. A proper focus on our part would be to relearn the implications of verse thirty-one. "May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works".

Certainly we should hope to preserve as many of the wild species as possible, but let us not like the "fur righteous" neglect the needs of mankind who unlike the animal world can praise the Lord, the Almighty of Creation.

Our Lord indeed controls all events within His will. The Western fires of last year and the one time eruption of Mt Saint Helens have each in their way contributed to an increase in nature out of the ashes of the old. The earth indeed trembles at God's touch and to Him we are encouraged by our psalmist to give songs of praise and adoration. These songs of praise are to be lifelong ambition for the Saints of the Living God. Even as we rejoice in the beauties of His earth, we must focus our attention gladly on the hand behind creation.

May our meditation on His gracious creation praise Him and so please Him as we are led in our rejoicing. Our psalm closes on a somber note. Those who do not see the Lord's hand behind the natural order sin greatly, and the very nature they worship will disappear from their sight for all eternity. May we regularly Praise the Lord and learn from His servant psalmist that our God is King and Creator indeed. Amen.