The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. -Psalm 19:1-3
God speaks to every human on earth every day and every night. He begins our days with soft dawns and closes them with colorful sunsets. He paints His sky with varying shades of blues and lavender; then He splashes vibrant oranges and reds onto His canvas, just to remind us, before the darkness comes, that we are not alone; then the darkness reveals an even greater message.
One of my favorite memories of northern Alberta was watching the aurora borealis. One night we stood outside as long as we could at -40 degrees to watch what looked like scarlet waterfalls, tinged with purple, cascading to the earth. On another night, we stood under a pulsating, herringbone-patterned dome of various colors. I never tired of watching green curtains wisp their way across the sky or watch for what looked like bright, yellow landing lights bursting up from the horizon. There are scientific reasons for all of this, but God did not have to make those reasons. I think He just enjoys putting on a fantastic show.
We also lived in Prince Rupert, B.C. for a couple of years. One of my favorite memories from there was having the opportunity to spend a few days in the Queen Charlotte Islands. The ferry left Rupert in the morning to begin its eight-hour trip across the channel to the Charlottes; we enjoyed the waves and seabirds. Return trips began at 11 p.m. Since the journey was a regular for many of the passengers, they headed for their cabins and a bed. My husband, Wes, and I stayed alone on the deck, surrounded by millions of glittering stars. The dark night and black Pacific lent the perfect backdrop for our night adventure; we simply stood in awe. We even overcame enough embarrassment to sing out squeaky worship songs to our Maker.
What message do you hear from David's Psalm 19?
I hear a few things; one is that God is bigger than I am. Our planet is but a speck of dust in the expanse of our galaxy, unseen when placed in the entire universe; no one can see me or my family or friends from space. We cannot even see continents, countries or cities in the picture of the pale blue dot, a famous picture taken of earth from over four billion miles away by Voyager I as it left our solar system.
The prophet Isaiah said: "Lift up your eyes and look to the Heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing" (Isaiah 40:26).
How important can we possibly be to such a Creator? At this point God may seem too big and distant to care about you and me, but God links His heart for humanity with the splendor of His universe. "He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit . . . the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love" (Psalm 147:3-5, 11).
It used to seem logical that, if we had a God this mighty, and this God loved us, then our lives should be full of ease; we should never have a broken heart. I have since concluded that I do not want to miss the opportunity to love God for who He is, no matter what complications I have in my life. I do not want to miss the training, pruning and chastening that He promises. God offers to train us, as His own children, to love others as He loves them. He calls us to be heirs together with Christ. That idea is as huge as the universe!
Sue Carlisle grew up on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. An enrolled member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, her passion is to encourage people to look at creation and see our awesome Creator. Sue
is author of Walking with the Creator Along the Narrow Road (2013 Indian Life Books). She and her husband, Wes, now live in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
