Faith

The Heavens Declare

by Cynthia Bowen
02/23/23
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The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork. (Psalms 19:1)

As often as I have read this verse, I have had this picture in my head of a young David sitting on a grassy knoll by his campfire,  sheep resting nearby as the last rays of sunlight fade from the western sky.  As the stars twinkled into view on the ever-darkening canvas of the sky, the shepherd boy was awed by the beauty of creation and the power of the One who imagined and executed such a display.  Surely, David’s heart burned as he sang under the canopy of stars, “The heavens declare the glory of God…” 

That is a lovely picture, simple worship springing from a heart gazing toward heaven. However, the scene the psalmist described is far from simple.  The faint stars that David watched twinkling in the night sky are ignited gasses fueled by nuclear fusion reactions in their cores.  The star that is closest to the planet he was sitting on is about 4.3 light-years distant, a little over 25 trillion miles away.  The dance of the moon is physics in motion,  the work of gravity keeping the rocky orb bound in its earthly orbit.

And though David could not have known it sitting on the hill outside of Bethlehem that night, the complex technologies of the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes have revealed distant nebulas, icy comets, swirling planets, and galaxies beyond number.  The beauties and wonders that were not seen that night are far more numerous than those that made the shepherd sing in awe filled worship. When I consider the complexity and vastness of the universe, I must join the song, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.”

David looked at the night sky sitting outside Bethlehem and worshiped God in simplicity.  I sit with my phone in hand looking at images of far away galaxies and worship in complexity.  God received worship from both of us, but I have a suspicion that David may have had a  better grasp on the majesty of the Creator than I did.

Complexity can be very stressful.  Life just seems complicated these days.  We have innovative technologies that allow us to access any knowledge available to any man at any time day or night.  We have scientific abilities to decode and analyze everything from the marvel of human DNA to the weather patterns that bring the warm spring breezes.  The old adage states that knowledge is power, but maybe such a great quantity of knowledge so easily obtained leads to the illusion of control.

If I have a problem, google will find me an answer. Is there a symptom that I feel in my body?  A simple search can provide medical sites with research spanning decades.  When I face a difficulty in life, the unending data waiting at the tips of my finger promises answers and solutions.  Surely someone online has advice on how to handle the situation.  Of course,  there is also the wealth of information I can find on social media.  These platforms provide me with Biblical exhortations from facebook prophets,  allow me to view vacation pictures from distant acquaintances, let me peruse improved cupcake recipes, and read shocking news articles of human suffering all in easy 15 second bites..

Before I realize that my time is being eaten, hours have passed on my phone or  computer screen. Complexity did not actually bring answers or provide peace.  It just gave me more variables to consider.  All the while, my prayer closet remains empty,  though that is the most likely place that any answer will be found. Paul wrote: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. (Phil 4:6)

Complexity can keep me out of the presence of God by offering me the chance to figure life out on my own.  The Lord doesn’t need my help or advice to solve the problems and unravel the difficulties I face.  Instead, He waits patiently for me to lay aside my striving and ask for His help.  He offers simplicity to me,and to all those who will receive it.  Simple faith in a God so complex, powerful, good, and sovereign frees us from the tyranny of having to understand everything that lies ahead of us.  I don't need all the answers, I just need to know that God has them.

Tonight,stars so far away that I will never see their light burn in the darkness and hidden planets dance in their orbits.  I do not know their names or compositions. Distant galaxies can keep their secrets tonight.  As for me, I think that I will put away my devices. The sun has dipped below the horizon and I may do some simple stargazing tonight.  After all, the heavens  declare the glory of God.