9/10/21

 

The Heavens Declare

             The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

            Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
            There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

            In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,  which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, 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 nothing is hid from its heat.

                The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
            More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.

            Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
                But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
                Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

                Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19

            We know a lot more about “the heavens” than the writer of the Psalms did.  We know that the earth moves around the sun and not the other way around.  We know which lights in the night sky are stars and which are galaxies and which are planets and which are airplanes.  We know about black holes and solar winds and what causes the aurora and what stars are made of.  We have stood on the moon and sent machines to the surface of other planets.

            We know so much more, and yet our ignorance is still staggering and we don’t yet have the technology to answer all our questions.  What we share with the author is the sense of wonder that he has as he looks up at the sky.  “The heavens declare the glory of God.”  The moon and the stars and the aurora and the sun all point to a power that boggles our imagination.  If God exists and set all of the cosmos into motion…what must He be like?  How could one be bigger and greater than all of that?  How could everything in creation have worked out just right to support life here on Earth without an Almighty Hand guiding it?  There are so many factors, both big and small, that need to be precisely right in order for life to continue on this planet…and we have them all.  Every time the author of the Psalms looked to the skies, he marveled at the hand of God sustaining them through another day.  Every time we look at the sky, we have the same opportunity.

            There is a parallel to be made in our lives.  We know so much more today about disability and developmental delays and mental illness than they did in the ancient world.  We have identified some contributing factors and treatments.  But there is so much we do not know.  We don’t actually know what causes autism.  We cannot tell how an illness will effect different individuals and we have no cures for most everything that falls under the IDD umbrella.  Maybe those breakthroughs are coming in the future when technology and research reveal new information.  Maybe not.

            What I know is that the same wonder that we have in our hearts when we stare up at the sky can be found when we turn our gaze upon our children.  We can marvel at how God has put them together and given them just what they need for another day.  We can see the mighty hand of God guiding and directing them as they navigate one potentially disastrous situation after another.  We can stand in amazement at the power that both their smiles and their tears have to transform our days.   These kids are precious gifts, given to us by the power that called the universe into being.  Let us hold them with the gratitude and respect and wonder that they deserve.

           

A moment to reflect:

Where do you experience wonder in your life?