“The heavens declare the glory of God…”— Psalm 19:1
The heavens once were a magical canopy of fiery daylight, cooled at night by the glow of the moon. Twinkling lights spread their star stories across the universe.
When I was young, imagining myself as an astronomer or astronaut, I was endlessly intrigued by the mystery of God’s lights and learned everything I could.
They spoke to me in the rhythms of creation, and I felt God’s presence, especially after the night I first met Him at the age of eleven. I’d lie in the yard outside my home and listen to crickets and the wind in the trees. I would stare at the sky, marveling at the faraway lights signaling God’s glory. I knew the fanciful legends of Orion, Cassiopeia, and the menagerie of lions, bulls, dogs, and rams.
Then I grew up.
The science of astronomy had a way of removing the awe and glory from God’s work in the sky. The moon, sun, and stars were said to be gaseous balls of fire or dark, icy matter. They were the beautiful part of creation that ordered the days, nights, and seasons.
But I no longer heard their stories, and the heavenly bodies lost their mystery for me.
Until I matured as a believer and began recognizing God’s handiwork in the heavens. As I studied Scripture, history, and the origins of the stories in the skies, I began to understand why God said,
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world. (Psalm 19:1–4)
When you need inspiration and confirmation that there is a God who has created us and loves us, look to the skies and soak in the beauty of His creation. Imagine generations of ancestors looking to the stars for navigation, evidence of God’s work, and connecting with His creation’s awesome beauty.
I have regained my earlier wonder and sense of awe at all God has put in the heavens. The beauty is there for our enjoyment, but it is so much greater than that!
The heavens exist to declare the glory of God!
