SUN, MOON & STARS

DAY 23: It has been a great winter for terrestrial fireworks. With various meteor showers lighting up the night, it is as if the universe is has been showing off.

When my kids were younger we would take advantage of all the movements of the heavens.  If a comet was passing by, we would set the alarm for 3am so we could enjoy the show.  With sleepy eyes and hot chocolate in hand, we would lay under the stars and wait to be awed by the multitude of falling stars. It's hard to say who enjoyed it more: me, the kids, or the five dogs who were so excited to have company in the yard. Summer or winter, sun or moon, we tried to catch every eclipse, comet, and meteor shower in our area.  Such times are a thrilling reminder that the universe is a dynamic, vigorous, untamable and seemingly inexhaustible force. After all, what do we know of that is more enduring than the sun?

As Providence would have it, on the very day that the sun is reminding us of its dominance in the  heavens, God reminds us that even the heavens bow to Him who Was and Is and Will Be long after the sun burns itself out.

From today's reading in Psalm 19:
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
      The skies display his craftsmanship.
 2 Day after day they continue to speak;
      night after night they make him known.
 3 They speak without a sound or word;
      their voice is never heard.
 4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
      and their words to all the world.
   God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
 5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
      It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
 6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens
      and follows its course to the other end.
      Nothing can hide from its heat.

Day after day we see the sun, steady, immovable, and glorious.  Its constancy gives us hope every morning; day after day our very lives depend on its light and its warmth.  AND YET, the sun's greatest gift to mankind is its unmoving proclamation that the God who placed it in the heavens is its Craftsman and Maker.  God Himself set every celestial body in the sky; He alone put the heavens in motion and He holds them together by the power of His word.  So what exactly do the heavens do?  

  THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD!

 The only right response to the power and majesty of the sun, the moon, and the stars is to bow down and worship their Maker.  

I'm so thankful for God's perfect timing that he would remind me of His glory on the very day the sun is proclaiming HIS MAJESTY with a solar storm in the heavens.  Should I do any less than the sun, the moon and the stars?  This week, I pray I would proclaim His majesty, too!


 How will you proclaim God's greatness in the world where you orbit?



Day 23 of 365 our ONE YEAR WITH GOD reading: Choose a little or a lot.
Genesis 46
Genesis 47
Matthew 15:1-28
Psalm 19:1-14
Proverbs 4:14-19




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BIG FAT NO!

Image
DAY 158: After I started writing as a profession I joined an organization made up of published women authors and speakers.  I was incredibly intimidated by these amazing women who had been mentoring me for years as one  of the readers of their books and articles.  They were wise. They were accomplished. They were Godly women. They were scary! To a newbie in the world of publishing, they were role models of how to marry the art of writing with the heart of ministry. The first professional development conference I attended I not only had to meet these super-women, I had to stand up front and tell about myself and my passions.  You can imagine the intense preparation that preceded my moment in the spotlight before such an illustrious group of professionals. Shopping for the perfect outfit took a whole day!  I didn't want to just say the right things, I wanted to look good saying it. If only I hadn't picked THAT night as the first time I ever wore a strapless dress. Just as I w
Read more

THE LAST WORD

Image
DAY 8: Okay, one more Bailey story... Not only is my 21-year-old son a natural born actor, he likes drama in life in general.  He particularly thinks its entertaining to spar with his equally strong headed mother.  Our good-natured exchanges usually end with a game to see who will get the last word.  We've been known to go on for a while until one of us manages to spit out the last retort and retreat from the room before a reply can echo.  He's pretty quick, but on occasion, my voice is the last one heard on a topic. As I detoured from my regular reading today into the book of Hebrews to prepare for a Bible lesson, I discovered that the ultimate LAST WORD has already been spoken.  In the first chapter of this "book of better things" the writer makes clear that on the subject that matters most in all the universe, there is nothing left to add. HEBREWS 1:  1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2
Read more

WHEN YOU'RE READY TO SPLIT

Image
DAY 153: Only two times in all the years I have been speaking at churches have I had a cancellation. Once was a summer event that was cancelled because of an extreme heatwave that hit the California area where the hosting church was located.  The planner felt sure that attendance would suffer at the "Christmas in July" event as the temperature topped 115 degrees.  They rescheduled. The other group did not reschedule after their planner called to say they would not be hosting an event because the congregation was going through a contentious church split.Things were definitely heating up there, too. Church splits are no laughing matter, but I laughed anyway when I recently read this news post that is all too close to home for many Christian congregations. Centerville, Ga - The small community of Centerville has a population of just over 5000 people, but with a total of 48 Presbyterian Churches . The high number of churches has to do with multiple splits that have taken
Read more