God leads us to awe and grace through his creation and his Word
By Dean Collins
During different seasons of my life, my work included much time in many of America’s large cities. Frequent visits to New York, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Chicago, and others allowed me to see and feel the excitement of the city. There is something about the activity level, the food and entertainment options, the professional sports teams, and even the noise that can fill the senses. Many times I imagined that one day I would live in a downtown condo where I could walk to whatever I needed or wanted to do.
But for many years, even when my job demands involved regular trips to many cities, my home has been in a rural setting. The last dozen years I have lived outside a small town and in the country. Living in the country is very different. The sounds are not of cars and trains and interstate travel. I hear the sounds of owls, crickets, and frogs. And on a good weather night, I often sit on the deck just outside my bedroom with all lights turned off and listen to a symphony that declares God’s glory. It is a quiet symphony, yet it overwhelms the senses.
Nighttime show
My experience living in the country may be something similar to what the psalmist heard as he stared at the nighttime show of God’s glory. C.S. Lewis once said Psalm 19 was the greatest poem in the psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world. Like me, you have probably read it many times. But if you get away from the lights and sounds of the city and look up to the majesty of a clear nighttime sky you can hear it.
“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world” (vv. 1-4).
Don’t just read this devotion or the poetry of Psalm 19. Go outside some evening and experience it for yourself. When I sit in silence on a clear night I am immediately moved by the glory of God and find my spirit becomes calm and at peace. The glory of God can do that to you even in complete silence. Many times in scripture we see and learn that God reveals himself in his creation.
Words to breathe and taste
God also reveals himself and his glory in his Word. Maybe it was while staring at God’s creation that David recalled the truth of God’s Word. But these are not simply words on a poet’s page. These are words we can breathe. These are words creating for us the taste of sweet honey dripping from the comb. These are words that display the beauty of fine gold. And these are words that are complete truth, perfect words that will literally revive the soul.
The power and wonder of God’s Word draw me in every morning. No matter the challenges of life, I can instantly become calm as I ingest God’s Word. The psalmist reminds us that God’s Word is perfect and trustworthy. And when we read it, meditate on it, pray it, and live it, we discover wisdom that can make the complex simple. When we follow the teachings of scripture, our reverence for God grows and our joy is magnified.
God’s pure presence
But time experiencing the glory of God in the majesty of the night sky along with time in God’s Word also quickly exposes our hidden sins. The purity of God’s presence always exposes the sin that has blinded us. But we need not fear this revelation; we simply must submit it to the power of the cross. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we can go boldly to the throne of God’s grace through our Lord and Savior Jesus. There we find his mercy and grace.
Psalm 19 teaches us that we can experience God’s presence and glory through his creation. We can gain wisdom and instruction for life from his Word. God’s glory and his Word give the Holy Spirit access to reveal the sin in our lives so that we can once again experience forgiveness, mercy, and grace from our Lord and Savior. And finally, we are ready to pray with the psalmist a simple prayer that allows us to step into the ministry of service where God directs us today. Pray it with me:
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
Amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Psalm 19:1-14; Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT
To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page.
