The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1)

Ruth Fazal tells of being on a beach in England gazing up in awe at the night sky, when she sensed the Lord’s presence, and Him saying to her “Do you like it?” I also remember being in awe over a sunset years ago in Toronto. It filled the sky from horizon to horizon with dazzling reds and purples and oranges. And as I stood there transfixed by the glory of it, a man came out of the same building, glanced up casually at the night sky, shrugged and went on as if nothing spectacular was happening. And I was caused to wonder then, and again this morning, at how easily we seem to lose our sense of wonder, our sense awe.

As a young child, and into my early teens I knew God existed. He was with me with what I would only later recognizes a difficult childhood. But as I “matured” I wanted to do what I wanted to do, and my certainty of God’s existence somehow faded. The Bible puts it this way, we suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). It was as if the existence of a righteous God was somehow inconvenient, and I went my merry way. Well not so merry actually, we eventually reap what we sow, and it was the inability of my being unable to deal with the consequences of my poor choices that eventually lead me back to Him!

In the same Chapter as above, Paul tells us that the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, so that we are without excuse (Romans 1:20). And it struck me this morning, how very much we lose (I lost), when we seek to excuse and a rationalize away the existence of an inconvenient God. I lost not only my sense of awe, but I also lost my joy and peace, and I discovered the shallowness what I at one time thought was a lot of love. In fact it was all about me, I had turned inward and become but a pale image of what He created me to be. And I thank God this morning that with Him we have second, third and fourth chances!

Father, I want to thank You this morning for the perhaps overused image of salvation as the new birth. In particular I want to thank You that with You, we can always start over, so that old things are passed away and all things are becoming new (2 Corinthians 5:17). I am not yet what I want to be, but I thank You this morning that I am not what I once was. All the glory for the change belongs to You, and it is my desire Lord that it not just be the heavens that declare Your glory, but that my life declare Your glory too. Let it be Lord, in Jesus Name Amen