I
have been hearing a familiar comment in the last couple of weeks. It
seems that despite the bitter cold temperatures we have been having
lately, many people have found beauty in the stars as they shine so
bright on these cold nights. I can't blame them. One look at the
North Dakota night sky is an impressive and beautiful display of
stellar artwork.
This
week I came across an old familiar psalm that speaks about the beauty
of the night sky. In Psalm 19 we read:
“The
heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His
hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they
display knowledge.”
It
seems that the heavens are like a scroll that God lays out to read a
great love story to the people of the earth. That story is etched in
the stars as though written with light from the very Father of lights
Himself. It is as though God had a message to communicate from the
very beginning of time, and He took the time to display it in the sky
we look at every day.
What
is that message? The verses above state that the heavens “declare
the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands”. In
the beauty of creation, we are able to see God's creativity,
ingenuity, and personality. It's like taking a peek into the vast
storehouse of the wonder of God's glory. As fascinating as that
might seem, it is the following verses that are most amazing to me:
There
is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice
goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
God's
declaration of His own glory and His love for the human race is
displayed in a “language” that everyone on the face of the planet
is able to hear and understand. God knows what speaks to you and I,
and He is able to communicate through that means. My wife once wrote
a song that talks about the way God speaks to some through the beauty
of creation, and for others He uses the blessing of friendship. Some
would say that the first time God ever got through to them was
through the melody and lyrics of a song, and for others it is the
hands of a community that reaches out to help in a time of need. God
speaks the very language that your heart hears.
What
is God's message? As we have just celebrated in the Christmas
season, God loved humanity enough to come down and be born amongst
His creation to redeem it from the curse of sin. God demonstrated
His love in this way- Jesus Christ died to save sinners and to
deliver them from the dominion and power of sin. Since this is true,
He invites us to turn from our sin, and follow after Him. He invites
us to be a part of the incredible plan He has for this world, and to
become more and more like Him every day. He invites us to see His
glory, not just in the night sky, but in our hearts as well.
