When you can get far away from city lights and crane your face to the sky on a cloudless night, the expanse you witness is anything but dark. It glitters with the flash of innumerable stars. These massive lights are not random. Studying them evening by evening you will find that they are organized in patterns and reliably mark how the earth moves in our galaxy.
The shepherd-turned-king, David, wouldn’t have known all we do about the universe, but he understood that the sky was evidence of the One Who created it. He would have had ample opportunities to observe it. When he was a shepherd, it was nearly three millennia before the first lightbulb polluted the darkness. When he was roughing it on his military campaigns, he could look up and see the wonders created by the One for whom he fought. From the top of his palace, he would have an unobstructed view of the heavens made by the Creator he served and betrayed from that very spot.
Given his familiarity with the skies and relationship with the skies’ Maker, David was a perfect fit to pen the 19th psalm by way of the Holy Spirit. The opening six verses lend familiar human traits to fantastic astronomic objects, providing a lesson about the God Who made us all.
The cosmos is always engaged in show and tell. “The heavens declare the glory of God, And the firmament shows his handiwork” (Ps 19:1, Unless otherwise stated: Scripture is taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Used by permission. All rights reserved). Similarly, we should not only speak of God, but His influence on our lives should be apparent to onlookers. Regardless of signing up for it or not, you are part of this cosmic event. When people see you in orbit, does it bring glory to God? (Matt 5:16; 1 Thess 1:2-8; 1 Cor 1:11; Rom 2:24; Col 1:3-5)
Who witnesses the impact of God’s creation? “There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard” (Ps 19:3). The evidence of God is for everyone. God’s people are meant to be lights, designed by God, to be seen and direct people to His Son. Regarding the sun, David wrote, “There is nothing hidden from its heat” (Ps 19:6). Our goal should be that not one person would be missed with the illumination that can only be brought by the gospel. (Matt 5:14; Phil 2:14-15; Matt 28:18-20; 1 Tim 2:1-7)
-Van
