The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
Darci J. Steiner, Guest Writer
Today’s Treasure
Almighty God orchestrates the celestial dance with divine precision, gliding the sun across the sky in a metronomic rhythm. His glory is reflected from minute to minute, hour to hour, as the original ancient clock passes the torch from sun to moon, continuing the proclamation of His magnificence during the watches of the night. The planets take turns in their silent shouts of illumination, and constellations move from station to station as the ancient clock ticks more precisely than any manufactured atomic clock. God is the creator of the day and the choreographer of the night.
God delights in seeing His created beings gaze in astonishment at a brilliant sunset more masterfully painted than any work of art in the Louvre. He brushes in full-spectrum light, but we see a mere smidge. His ways are higher than ours, His thoughts more profound than the human mind’s highest intelligence. His wonders remain wonderful—His majesty, majestic—His glory, glorious. The night sky pours forth loquacious speech through sparkling spectacles! Each night, they display the heavenly mystery, too excellent to know. Stand in awe of God's creation. Be more content with curiosity than knowledge.
Last week, I stood with my husband, staring at the starry sky, mapping out five planets in alignment! I stood in awe, lost in time. My husband climbed back into the car from the cold, but the Lord’s magnificence so captivated me. All I could do was stare and play dot to dot with my eyes bounding from one planet to the next. I had to count the Seven Sisters (Pleiades), trace the outline of Orion, and narrow my eyes to focus on red Mars. Then Jupiter, I’d never seen it so bright! It’s the closest I’ve come to experiencing the awe of seeing the Star of Bethlehem! Did you see them, too?
Job was stunned by God’s handiwork displayed in the heavens and wrote of the constellations, “He is the Maker of Leo and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south (Job 9:9); “Can you bind the beauty of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion’s belt?” (Job 38:31). Centuries later, in 1958, C.S. Lewis wrote in Reflections on the Psalms, “I take [Psalm 19] to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.”1 We gaze at the same constellations that Job and C.S. Lewis were enamored by.
Read all of Psalm 19. If possible, sit outside at night in a safe spot, looking up at the sky to notice the Lord’s works of art. God has sustained the heavens since the day He created them. The kingdom of heaven has not faded in beauty; it needs no polishing or maintenance. The constellations are still traceable into images God carefully placed into position. Then He gave each star its own name (Ps 147:4, Isa 40:26)! Isn’t God remarkable?
PRAYER
Father, Your creation of the heavens is magnificent! You are the master creator. I don’t thank You enough for the lights that shine in the darkness, reassuring me that there are pockets of light on dark days. I am grateful for a glimpse of heavenly beauty and will be more aware of all Your daily and nightly works of art. I love You so much. Amen.
1 C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Company, 1986), 63.
