The Glory of God by Pastor David Christensen

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” Psalm 19:1-2

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to spend a decent amount of time outside. I spent 4 days hunting elk in Colorado and have been able to jump up in a deer stand a few times over the past week. I did not get an elk in Colorado. I did see elk but never had a shot at one. I have also had a few opportunities to shoot a deer but have yet to pull the trigger. Though I have not yet harvested an animal this year, I have had an amazing time simply sitting out in God’s creation enjoying all the wonders of His hands. I’m continually amazed at how creative and imaginative God is. One of my very favorite things, or I should say favorite experiences, is walking out to my stand in the pitch black of morning and sitting in an open deer stand as the morning light slowly creeps up. The forest awakens as the dawn peeks over the horizon. And as the sun moves slowly upward, the birds begin to chirp, squirrels, rabbits, owls, and eagles all begin to move about and the deer make their way back to shelter, to their beds to sleep a bit and digest their food. I am reminded of Psalm 19:1-2 each time I have the opportunity to experience the wonder of nature in this way. In fact, I often tell Julie about the beauty of the morning light and the joy of the Lord that accompanies its warmth and color!

Psalm 19 is a Psalm written by King David. He spent a good deal of time outside in God’s creation. Whether he was tending sheep as a boy, or on the run hiding from King Saul as a young man, David experienced the wonders of God’s creation as he watched the sun rise or as he lay watching the stars dance overhead. In those moments outside David discovered a truth that is truly undeniable (Psalm 19:1-2). “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” I love the way David reminds us that the day and the night – all of creation – is speaking to us. It is shouting out to all with eyes to see and ears to hear that there is a creator behind the wonder and beauty of creation. God’s fingerprints are all around us in each leaf, each bug, each shadow, each ray of light or sparkle of the stars! His handiwork is evident in the little birds that perch on the bare branches near my stand. It’s evident even in the annoying squirrels that get me excited that a deer might be coming, only to watch them scurrying beneath me through the leaves below. It is clear to me that the fall colors, even the brisk wind, all declare God’s glory and majesty.

I know many of you saw the Northern Lights dancing in the sky the other night. Truly amazing! God is SO incredible. I also know that many of you are dreading the next season: winter. But the truth is…even in the coldest of months, if we open our eyes and if we listen to the world around us, we can hear the “heavens declare the glory of the God!” What an amazing God we serve. Now, Lord, if you could just send my way one of those big deer!