THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2013
2 Chronicles 14:1–16:14
Romans 9:1–21
Psalm 19:1–14
Proverbs 20:1
“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.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1–4)
These verses speak to God’s self-revelation through creation. May I just recount some ways in which God displays His goodness? Let us consider: the order of the stars, the beauty of a single leaf, the grandeur of a sunset, the softness and quietude of falling snow, the power and suddenness of a thunderstorm, the relief of a mountain crest, the roaring of the ocean waves, the ripple of a brook, or the safety of His loving embrace.
Reading these verses brings to mind a favorite hymn, “How Great Thou Art”:
“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
“Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee:
‘How great Thou art! How great Thou art!’
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee:
‘How great Thou art! How great Thou art!’”
“When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
“Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee:
‘How great Thou art! How great Thou art!’
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee:
‘How great Thou art! How great Thou art!’”
From what I may gather from the truth here, no one may escape God’s self-revelation. In Psalm 14:1, we read: “The fool says in his heart,/ ‘There is no God.’/ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;/ there is no one who does good.” The sinfulness of the human heart blocks this revelation and causes our hearts to become callous to the ever-present signals of His existence and glory. While God “rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6), this world clouds the full understanding and knowledge of God: “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.:” (1 Corinthians 13:12) In large part, the glory of heaven will be the unveiling of all the truth and fullness of God’s revelation. It will bring tremendous joy to our hearts and eternal satisfaction to our souls, the very gift for which we will have always been longing.
“The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure
and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them, there is great reward.” (Psalm 19:7–11)
These verses extol the glory of God’s written Word and the servant’s delight in it. The uncreated Word, which has always existed because God has always existed, brings greater fruit and worth than any created thing. We may esteem and trust God’s Word because of its Source: His permanence, surety, perfection, and radiance.
Recently, I have reflected on the power of meditating on God’s Word. A simple form of such meditation is to relax our minds and ask God to bring to the fore a verse or passage. After writing that last sentence, I did just that. He brought to mind the phrase: “… Every animal of the forest is mine,/ and the cattle on a thousand hills.” (Psalm 50:10) Coupled with this verse, He brought to mind images of those hills and a symbol of His power and sovereignty. I then repeated the phrase several times: “You own the cattle on a thousand hills” and completed the thought with: “God, You are awesome and sovereign over all creation. To You be all glory!” What verse would He like to bring to mind for you?
Another thought from earlier today: As evangelicals, we may tend to focus on our depravity and shortcomings. Certainly, we are all rightly condemned under the Law and by creation’s revelation (Romans 1:18–3:20). Yet, we should not solely wallow in these thoughts. The beauty and glory of God should call forth our praise, thanksgiving, and obedience. When did you last picture His glory? Again, these images become readily apparent through meditation. Likely, we don’t seek these images as persistently as we should because of our infatuation with the world and its faux-glory. In this, I am greatly vulnerable.
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
This highlighted verse speaks to the character that God desires in His servants, but also the sustaining and reinforcing power of God in our daily walks with Him. The verse tightly discusses the interplay between God’s sovereignty and human free will. As His eyes range, how will He find us today?
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