The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above
proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night
reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not
heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end
of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a
bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with
joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of
them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. (Psalm 19:1–6; ESV)
Tomorrow is the first day of Spring and my yard knows it
well. As we have been seeing more and more of the sun and feeling its warmth,
our trees and grass outside have been flourishing in its life giving rays. I
even had to dig find and clean up my sun glass clip last week, and I enjoyed
wearing shorts several days this past week. There is something about that huge
burning object which we orbit that speaks so loudly of life in times like this.
The sun rises in our lives every day and it runs its course without wavering.
Its brilliance is like the overwhelming joy in the face and the steps of a
groom on his wedding day.
The psalmist wrote that the heavens declare the glory of
God. Living in southern Oregon we get to see this glory both during the day and
at night (at least when the clouds and fog are gone). On a clear night the
stars are absolutely amazing, and all I have to do is walk out back and look. Yet
there are many out there who think this was a big poof event with no directive
thought behind it. They say that it just happened. When I look at the skies I
have to wonder how they can think things such as this. All that we experience
here is dependent on the heavens being exactly as they are. It is such a fine
line, and it screams amazement and points to the Creator behind it.
The sun is brightly shining and much of the world doesn’t see
its source because their hearts are darkened and they grasp to foolish and
outlandish speculations. This is what Scriptures tell us. Paul wrote in Romans,
“because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it
evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes,
His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood
through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though
they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became
futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing
to be wise, they became fools,” (Romans 1:19–22, NASB95)
In verse 2 we read that “Day to day pours out speech, and
night to night reveals knowledge.” The psalmist tells us that all that we see
above us declares God’s majesty. It points to Him as our Maker, yet there are
those who don’t hear. What they are not hearing is not a literal voice, but
that voice of wonder inside them that causes us to stop and worship the Giver
of life. They have convinced themselves that there must be another source, and
so they live as if God did not exist.
But He does, and He has made Himself known to us. Those who
know me, also know that I try to limit how much sun I expose myself to. With my
fair skin and my thermostat I can easily become overwhelmed by it. And as I
think about the power and majesty of the sun which God has given us, I can’t
help but think about His Son who set aside the fullness of His glory to become
man so that we might have new life. God was perfectly capable of saving us in
any way He chose, and He would have been totally just not to save us at all.
But because He loved us He sent His Son for us, and He sent Him in a way that
we could really know Him. The very One who spoke things into existence became
the same One who brought us new life, and He made Himself approachable as a
humble man who came to seek and to save. And after being put to death on a
cross, like the sun that goes away and then rises again, the Son of God was
buried and then rose on the third day once for all. God knows best how to
provide the sun to us for life here, and He knew best what we needed through
His Son for eternal life.
When we look to the sun and observe its power
and consider the majesty of our God, we also can turn our hearts in praise and
thank Him for declaring in His Word the life giving power of His Son so that we
might know, believe, and live.
“but these have been written so that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may
have life in His name.” (John 20:31, NASB95)
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