Sunday 25 October, 2020

For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

What a beginning to a Psalm – “the heavens proclaim the glory of God”. Yes they do.

I am amazed every day about the intricacies of God’s creation. It is something I interact with on a regular basis as I do my work as a scientist. It can be overwhelming to see how things fit together so well, to see how an ecosystem functions with so many pieces – it all comes together to create what we can see but there is so much going on underneath the surface. Take a moment and think about the flower you saw recently or the full moon or the ocean and the waves. Appreciating His creation is a way to then move into the rest of the Psalm.

Not only has God done an amazing job on His creation to help us see who He is, He has left us guidance about how to live life well. His words restore us, guide us, bring wisdom and insight, bring joy and light to our souls. Do you come to Him and His guidance? Do you make space to listen to His creation, to His words? I know I need to do it more often than I do! How about you?

Dear Lord, as this Psalm says “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Help me Lord, to notice Your creation, its beauty and wonder. Help me Lord to take that view and apply that thinking to my approach to Your word – to notice its beauty and wonder and to make use of the wisdom You have provided. Amen

Written by Therese Manning