Divine Show and Tell

A Moment’s Meditation
The Delta Point
August 26, 2004

Divine Show and Tell

It happens every morning. The bridegroom emerges from his chamber — finely and gloriously dressed, strong and virile, ready to take on the world. He is like an Olympian before his race — adrenalin pumping through his veins, eager to expend his pent-up energy in mere seconds. So Psalm 19 describes the rising of the sun, an overwhelming power in every part of the planet.

The sun, moon, stars, and sky declare the majesty and sovereignty of God. They determine whether we walk in daylight or starlight, sunshine or cloud. They control our lives, from the growth of our crops to the hurricanes that devastate in one area while moderating the temperature in another. As we acknowledge their power, we must also acknowledge the One who created them. They are His voice to us, God’s divine Show and Tell.

But God does not stop at declaring Himself through His creation. He gives us more than Someone to admire and worship.

Psalm 19 also describes the Word of God: His law, His testimony, His statutes, His commandments, His fear, His judgments. They are perfect. They are beneficial. If we let them, they change our lives and make us wise. Our eyes are opened; our hearts jump for joy. Words from the mind of God are free for the taking, but we can come to crave them more than we crave sweets or wealth.

Through prayer, God also offers us the help we need to take advantage of His gifts. After extolling the creation and the law of God, the Psalmist pleads for help in recognizing where he fails. “Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.”

The Lord is our strength and our redeemer. While His creation shows His power; His Word tells us how to live.

With each sunrise, may we greet the day with a recognition and thankfulness for our world and the God who gave it to us. May we desire to live wisely and joyfully, understanding and respectful of the eternal nature of God’s message. May we develop a craving for His commandments, because they both warn us and reward us.