Thought for week ending 12September

Psalm 19:1-4

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.  The skies display his craftmanship.  Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 

They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.  Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

Being a Christian is not necessarily an easy option.  I imagine there will be times in all our lives when God seems far away from us when we really need him and other times when we feel his presence all around us.

In our reading today, David begins by teaching us that  ‘the heavens proclaim the glory of God’.  I would imagine that there have been times in all our lives when we are left speechless and in wonder due to the beauty we have seen in the sky just by looking upwards.  I remember landing in Gerona in Spain, my first time in an aeroplane, just as the sun was rising showing colours and cloud formations I had never seen at home.  I recall the only time I had ever gone pony trekking; it was near Aberfoyle on a crisp winters’ morning.  There was a triangular shaped mountain in view, fully covered in snow set against a vivid blue winter sky.  On various occasions when stopping for a break at the Kings House hotel at Glencoe , I have looked at the mountains in sunny days and on cloudy days and there is never a time when they look anything other than spectacular.  These are just a few of my own personal recollections and I have many more as I am sure, you will too, of times when God’s creation moves us with its beauty and becomes indelibly printed on our minds.

We still look at the sky every day, possibly to predict what weather we have in store so we can decide what we are going to wear.  On most of these occasions, God may be far from our minds, but remember, as the old hymn says, God is always near us, he hears our prayers and let us be reminded of his wonderful creation and wonderful presence every time we look towards the heavens.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, when we look up to the heavens and see the splendour of your handiwork and the glories of your creative power, we are moved, as was David, to proclaim your glory and to declare the wonderful works of your mighty hand. But when we look to the Cross of Calvary and see Christ, dead, buried, and resurrected to life so that by faith in Him, we might be reconciled back to God, be forgiven of our sins, and become your child and heir, we are lost in wonder, love, and praise, Amen. (with thanks to knowing-jesus.com)