Psalm 19:1-6
Sometimes
a message can be heard loud and clear without any words being spoken. Moms and
Dads have a way of looking at their kids that can communicate volumes of information.
Great disapproval and exuberant approval can be telegraphed with a single look.
No one has to teach the kids what those looks mean, they seem to just be able
to pick up the meaning. Those who are in love also can pick up messages without
a single word. The glance across a room, the squeeze of a hand, the placement
of the hand on the lower back, the wink.
We
live in a world now where communication is less and less auditory. We read and
write BLOGs, email, IM, txt msg, tweet, instagram. We can look at a picture
someone posts and have it communicate deeply. Our own pictures, captured in
moments of enjoyment, bring up memories that need to be shared.
Our
psalm begins with an instagram from for the LORD. It is able to be read by
everyone around the world. At least it can be read if people would bother to
lift up their eyes from their smartphones. It begins in a very profound
declaration: the heavens declare the glory of God. There is no ambiguity here,
no politically correct skirting of the truth. The author just says it like it
is. Isn’t it refreshing! Don’t you wish all communication were this clear, this
direct.
So
creation tells us certain things as outlined in these verses. Creation,
specifically the stars and other objects in the sky, tell us about the glory of
God, His greatness and power. To put it another way, the heavens tell us that
we are very small and weak. We are not as important as we might lead ourselves
to believe. When we see the stars and galaxies, and realize that the LORD is
the One who made them all, our natural and proper response should be one of
worship and humility before Him.
Despite
the fact that the heavens are continually declaring the glory of God and a vast
amount of knowledge, so many just miss or dismiss what they hear. They would
rather inflate their own importance and knowledge. Humility does not come
easily. So why do some hear and understand the message that creation declares?
I think it comes down to receptivity. If people aren’t ready to receive, they
can’t hear the message being broadcast. If they aren’t tuned in to the right
frequency, if they aren’t willing to click on creation’s link, they can never
receive the truth of the message.
Even
the consistency of the movement of the sun says something about the
faithfulness of the LORD. The sun’s movement, described here in very poetic
language, is predictable. It has a normal course, one that can be tracked and
seen. Just like the rest of the heavenly bodies, the sun speaks of the glory of
God. The movement of the sun is heavenly business. The LORD takes care of that.
It is beyond our realm of responsibility and control. And He has set that in
place so that the sun provides the energy needed to sustain life here on planet
earth.
The
delicate balance of all the needed elements for life is staggering.
Each of these elements in this balance declare the LORD’s hand in this world
and in life itself. There had to be this perfect balance or the life the LORD
created here on earth would have failed to survive. The sun’s movement is one
of those important pieces in this complex set of interactions. They all speak
of the relationship He has with this place and with us.
So
we can look at the heavens and listen to their story, a story of the glory of
God and His providential care. This isn’t enough to bring salvation, but it is
enough to draw people closer and make them accountable. Take time today to look
up and around. Wonder at the marvel that is creation. But do more. Yield
yourself more fully to His will.