Living Water and Bread: God as Creator and Sustainer

Psalm 104 places God on high and then watches the water come down. The text begins with springs gushing in the valleys and flowing between the hills, because water comes from above, from the lofty abode of God. The wild donkeys drink, the birds dwell beside the waters, and the branches hold their song because God gives life through water. The psalmist wants water to be noticed, not only when it interrupts a picnic or shows up right after the car has been washed, but as one of the main ways creation says that God is not only creator but sustainer.

God stands as the only source of life. The Mississippi River may be known for its power long before anyone traces it to its headwaters, and human beings often know health, food, medicine, exercise, and hydration without tracing life back to its true source. Psalm 104 insists that all life begins in the living God. Science itself depends upon the order, regularity, and dependability of the world God made, even when science forgets the maker of that order. The scientist is like a poet studying the poem God has written in creation.

God’s creation also works as a system of divine life. God is not only seamstress, architect, and builder, but also plumber. Water comes down fresh, runs its course, reaches the sea, rises again through evaporation, and returns to give life. The earth is satisfied with the fruit of God’s work. Grass grows for livestock, plants grow for man to cultivate, and even human labor becomes a good thing because work imitates God’s own activity. Creation does not always work like Eden because human rebellion has brought disorder, and Romans 8 says creation groans. Yet the basic marvel remains: the sun rises, rain falls, food grows, birds sing, and God’s life-giving system still holds.

Joy appears as the symptom of divine life. Wine gladdens the heart, oil makes the face shine, and bread strengthens the heart because God gives more than bare survival. Creation is God’s good gift, not something to despise as worldly when received with thanksgiving. The cedars of Lebanon were God’s trees before they ever became timber for Solomon’s temple, because all creation is the theater of God’s glory. Jesus gathers all of this into himself as living water and the bread of life, giving material signs of grace so that the heart may taste and see that the Lord is good.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Water points back to God Water is not merely a natural resource or a convenience that becomes noticeable only when it is missing. Psalm 104 treats water as a witness, flowing down from above and carrying life to beasts, birds, plants, and people. A heart that traces daily life back to its headwaters learns to give thanks not only for miracles, but for ordinary cups of water. [49:52]
• 2. Creation is God’s plumbing system Creation has a built in order that keeps life moving, cleansing, feeding, and renewing. Water falls, flows, evaporates, and returns because God has made a world that works. When that system breaks or groans, the disorder does not disprove God’s care, but warns of the deep effects of human sin. [55:34]
• 3. Work belongs inside God’s provision Animals receive food ready made, but human beings cultivate plants and bring forth food from the earth. That labor is not a curse in itself, because work allows human creatures to imitate the God who works. Agriculture, cooking, and daily provision all rest upon the system God has already given. [58:14]
• 4. Joy is a sign of life God gives wine, oil, and bread not only to keep bodies alive, but to lift the heart. The gladness of a good meal, a shining face, or strengthened body is meant to travel beyond the gift to the giver. Enjoyment becomes worship when created things are received as gifts rather than treated as gods. [64:04]
• 5. Gratitude is creation’s only bill Creation is like a dinner theater where God gives nourishment and delight together. The food is provided, the beauty is displayed, and the whole world becomes Calvin’s “theater of God’s glory.” The only debt laid upon the creature is gratitude and praise to the changeless Trinity. [74:10]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [38:34] - Psalm 104 and God as Creator
• [40:40] - Sunny Days and Rainy Days
• [42:30] - Water as Life from God
• [43:45] - God Is the Source of Life
• [48:15] - Tracing Life to Its Headwaters
• [51:17] - Science Depends on Created Order
• [55:34] - Creation as God’s Plumbing System
• [58:14] - Human Work and God’s Provision
• [59:51] - Creation Groans Under Sin
• [64:04] - Joy as the Symptom of Life
• [68:05] - The Trees Belong to God
• [71:24] - Christ as Living Water
• [74:10] - Creation as God’s Theater of Glory

Bible Reading
Psalm 104:10-18 (ESV)
You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread to strengthen man’s heart. The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.

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Observation Questions

1. According to Psalm 104:10-13, where does water come from, and what specific purposes does it serve in creation?
2. The psalm mentions wine, oil, and bread (v. 15). What physical and emotional effects do these gifts have on people?
3. How does the psalmist describe the relationship between human labor and God’s provision in verses 14-15? [58:14]
4. What examples does the psalm give to show that creation’s systems are designed to sustain both animals and humans?

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why might the psalmist emphasize water’s origin from God’s “lofty abode” (v. 13) rather than just its natural cycle? How does this connect to the idea of God as sustainer?
2. The sermon compares creation to a “plumbing system” designed by God. What might happen if we ignore this system or treat it as purely mechanical? [55:34]
3. Verse 15 says wine “gladdens the heart.” How does this align with the sermon’s claim that joy is a “symptom of divine life”? [01:04:04]
4. Romans 8:22 says creation “groans” under sin. How does this tension between God’s good design and creation’s brokenness appear in Psalm 104?

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Application Questions

1. The sermon says gratitude is “creation’s only bill.” What ordinary part of daily life (e.g., a cup of water, a meal) could you intentionally thank God for this week? [49:52]
2. How might viewing your work (e.g., a job, chores, hobbies) as a way to “imitate God’s activity” change your attitude toward it? [58:14]
3. When have you experienced joy (e.g., a good meal, time in nature) that led you to worship God instead of stopping at the gift itself? How could you cultivate this habit?
4. The sermon warns against treating science or daily provision as separate from God. What practical step could help you “trace life back to its headwaters” in your routines? [48:15]
5. Creation’s “groaning” reminds us of sin’s effects. How can we honor God’s design while still acknowledging brokenness in areas like environmental care or relationships?
6. How might you use a simple gift (like bread, wine, or oil) as a reminder to “taste and see that the Lord is good” in your spiritual life? [01:12:17]