Psalm 19:1-6
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.
Who “speaks” in this section of the Psalm? What does the voice “say”?
What does this section reveal about God?
Reflect
I grew up in the age of “awesome.” No, everything in the world wasn’t awesome, but my generation used that word so frequently, you’d think that it was. Everything from pizza to sneakers to pop songs to hair styles was labeled with the word. Sometimes things were even “totally awesome.” It’s an adjective that’s lost some of its meaning. If practically everything is awesome, what word do we use when we come upon something that truly inspires awe?
In Psalm 19, David reminds us that the heavens above should fill us with awe because they declare the glory of the one who made them. David conveys his own wonder through the poetic use of language. The heavens are given a voice with which they proclaim God, even though they have no actual voice. The sun is compared to a bridegroom, who on the day of his wedding leaves his room determined to marry his bride. Like a champion, the sun rides across the sky, completing his course day after day.
David is painting a picture with his words. In a day long before someone could whip out their phone and take a picture of the sunset, David uses his words to communicate the awesome beauty that he sees. He reminds us to look up at the sky as well, but not just to admire the view, but to worship the one who created it. David knows that the splendor of the sun, moon, stars, and planets implies the splendor of the one whose hands made them.
With all our science and technology, the sky is a threshold we’ve now crossed, and beyond it are things David could have never imagined. We’ve sent rovers skidding across the surface of Mars and landers to one of Saturn’s moons. Our spacecrafts have plunged into the sun, circled Jupiter, and flown over Uranus and Neptune. We have telescopes that can see supernovas, galaxies, and nebulae millions of light years away. All that we’ve discovered beyond our own planet declares the glory of God, at least for all with ears to hear the declaration.
The creation invites every human being to honor and revere the Creator. As Paul will later describe in Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Unfortunately, the pervasive influence of sin in this world has meant that humanity hasn’t accepted the invitation. “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21). The awesomeness of the creation speaks of God to all, but not all hear and respond.
When’s the last time you found yourself awestruck by something in nature? How can you use those moments to honor God? How can you respond in worship to the glory of God revealed in creation?
Respond
Find a time this week to spend with God in nature. Go out and witness a sunrise or sunset, sit under the light of the moon and the stars, or lay back and watch the clouds dance across the sky. While you’re there, read Psalm 19:1–6. Declare it as true and then let it lead you into a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.