Transformation: My Journey through Psalms 104

I haven’t done New Year’s resolutions in a long time, because frankly by Easter everything is pretty much challenged by life and shouldn’t we be constantly on the lookout for reformation? So I choose resolutions when I need reformation, not just on one arbitrary day of the year.

What I do enjoy doing each year is picking a word to focus my year around. This year, after a lot of prayers, I choose transformation. And wow. Let me advise you if you do this and you seriously make it a regular prayer to be ready for whatever word you are praying for to really penetrate your life.

I’m not the easiest going person in the world. I like a set schedule. I like routine. I hate surprises. Can I adapt? Sure, or I wouldn’t be a successful teacher, but it really stresses me out when I have to create and change on the fly.

I’m also not the bubbliest person in the world. Happy is not my default. In fact, I have been compared to that Sadness character in Inside Out by more than one person. That, I think is a little extreme, but I get it. I’m a pragmatic realist so I really don’t bounce around looking for things to jump for joy about.

2017 was a really rough year for me–and ended in a really rough way. So when 2018 rolled around I wanted real change. I wanted transformation. 

Did you know that transformation is radical? And usually requires some kind of alteration or catalyst. Something new must be added in order to alter the composition or original structure. In case you are wondering, chemically speaking, a break down has to happen–at the cellular level–for transformation to occur.

Yikes.

See where I am going with this?

I’m actually kind of impressed with what God is doing with this in my life. I think he led me to this word because I could have chosen one of two things to do with the year 2017. 

I could have wallowed in the sadness, or I could do what Sadness is supposed to do–allow it to move through you so you can actually understand, appreciate and experience real joy. And that is true transformation.

So what does that have to do with Psalm 104?

If You, God, can be dressed up in sunshine… have built your palace on the ocean deeps and made a chariot out of clouds…commandeered winds as messengers and appointed fire and flame as ambassadors…roared and the water ran away…set boundaries between earth and sea…make grass grow…bring grain from the land and wine to make people happy…

Then how could we ever doubt his ability to transform us each and every day?