Psalm 19 | The Voice of God (Part I)
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 reveal knowledge.
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 19:1-6 (NIV)
I will never forget the incredible view I had from the office at my former company. My desk, right by the window, aligned me perfectly to gaze upon the wetlands just outside.
The landscape radiated with thriving plants and trees where birds happily perched, and throughout the area, there were vividly colored flowers— perfectly spaced. It was magnificent!
As I think back, it’s sad I seldom took the time to take in that beauty. Instead, I traded that beautiful view for that of a fatiguing computer screen. It would take the tapping of a bird on the window to occasionally draw my attention to the view outside.
Similarly, Psalm 19:1-6 draws our attention outside to the splendor of God’s creation. When we consider the heavens, we can hear the voice of God proclaiming his glory and revealing knowledge of himself.
Nature proclaims God’s glory
Verse 1 says that “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” When we look up into the heavens, we cannot help but be in awe. The sky and the space above are so glorious and so beyond us!
Even God himself testifies of his pleasure with his created world. In Genesis 1:31a, we read, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”
Just yesterday, I had an opportunity to soak in a beautiful view of God’s creation. It began with a beautiful pastel-colored sunset and transitioned to an impending wall of dark storm clouds, showing such diverse beauty and then raw power. No matter who you are or what your story is, take the time to allow God’s voice to speak to you through his glorious creation. But you might be wondering, what exactly is God trying to say?
Nature reveals knowledge of God
Verse 2 declares, “Day after day they (the heavens) pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” This tells us that the purpose of nature isn’t to draw attention to itself—but rather to speak of the existence of God.
The knowledge of God “goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (19:4a). It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live—this general revelation of God in nature goes out each and every day.
One particular way we gain this knowledge is through seeing the sophistication of the sun’s faithful movement and function. Verse 6b says there “is nothing hidden from its heat.” The sun lights our world faithfully and provides the nourishing warmth we need to survive. In a tangible way, it reveals the power and goodness of God.
God’s desire is for all who gaze into the heavens to seek after him. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1 that those who fail to recognize God in nature suppress the truth (Romans 1:18). They deny what is plain and obvious.
Yet, for those who consider the heavens and seek after God—the Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus Christ and his Word (more on that in Part II). This provides us with hope we so desperately need in this broken world.
So, the next time you are amongst a beautiful sunset or tapestry of stars—many things may be competing for your attention. I encourage you to listen for the voice of God in his glorious creation. And most importantly, let it draw you closer to the God behind it all—Jesus Christ, our Living Hope!