1 Heaven is declaring God’s glory;
the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.
2 One day gushes the news to the next,
and one night informs another what needs to be known.
3 Of course, there’s no speech, no words—
their voices can’t be heard—
4 but their sound extends throughout the world;
their words reach the ends of the earth.
God has made a tent in heaven for the sun.
5 The sun is like a groom
coming out of his honeymoon suite;
like a warrior, it thrills at running its course.
6 It rises in one end of the sky;
its circuit is complete at the other.
Nothing escapes its heat.
7 The Lord’s Instruction is perfect,
reviving one’s very being.
The Lord’s laws are faithful,
making naive people wise.
8 The Lord’s regulations are right,
gladdening the heart.
The Lord’s commands are pure,
giving light to the eyes.
9 Honoring the Lord is correct,
lasting forever.
The Lord’s judgments are true.
All of these are righteous!
10 They are more desirable than gold—
than tons of pure gold!
They are sweeter than honey—
even dripping off the honeycomb!
Reflection
I am not a morning person. I do not like to get up early, nor do I like to talk to people in the morning. However, when I am at the beach, I am up at dawn (or before if I go to see sunrise). I like to walk on the beach and go to my favorite bagel shop when I am up and about. The beach is definitely a happy place for me, and I am so thankful to our sister and her husband for sharing their home. I am also thankful for the amazing world God has given us. I try to be thankful for these blessings, and I try to be aware of things in the world like the waves crashing into the shore, the clouds overhead, and the stars at night. I am in awe of the sky and try to see things such as comets, meteor showers, and the eclipse. I like to watch the moon as well. These are things that I don’t understand even though I am a person who loves science. I just cannot comprehend the intricacies of our bodies, of this world, or of worlds beyond what we can see – worlds under the ocean, star systems so far away. There are so many things that, as knowledge advances, even those at the highest levels of science don’t yet understand. I feel that is the evidence for a Creator, and we read in our scripture about the Creator God and the fact that God is in control.
That brings us to this time of uncertainty in our world. We question what God is doing (at least I do). We question if we can make a difference in anything that happens with our climate, with the wars, with our country, our neighborhoods, or even in our own homes and families. I think this scripture is reminding us to remember what God has made and that God is still and always will be in control. We may not understand, but we can always look to God’s creation for some solace. Get out and take a walk and look at the trees and flowers. Watch the clouds drift by. Get out to see a rainbow during/after a storm. Watch a sunrise, sunset, or moonrise. Look at the stars. Appreciate and rest in those things to clear your mind if just for a bit. Use these things to regroup and start over to help make this world a better place and to know that Creator God is there.
by Janet Waryck
For Pondering and Prayer
Do you sometimes just question God about what is happening in this world? Does getting out in nature help you? What do you think about when you are looking at a sunset or flowers?
Prayer: Creator God, thank you for the beautiful world you have given us. Help us to appreciate your work and to use its glory to calm us when we are in times of stress to move to doing your will in our lives. Give us reminders to look at what you have created and to be thankful. Amen.