Thoughts from Sunset

August 22, 2006

"Recognizing God's Magnificence "

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world."
Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)

Do you remember the last time you really noticed the beauty that can be seen in all of God's creation? When I read Psalms 19, one of the first things I think of is how often I take for granted God's glory and magnificence. I find myself being too caught up in the normal day to day activities to notice the "small things" as much as I used to. These "small things" may not even seem all that important when the pressures of work and family are always present in our mind, but they are actually the most important.

When was the last time you caught yourself just taking in the scenery or staring up at the sparkling stars on a clear night? These are some of the visual evidences we have that God is present. Not only are these creations appealing to the eye, they also serve as reminders for us and attest to God's existence. Romans 1:19-20 takes this a step further with, "since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." If you've never pictured things this way before, it is certainly interesting to see that God's invisible qualities are actually visible to us through the beauty that surrounds us everywhere.

So, whether you are wanting to just take some time to admire God's marvels or show God's existence through something we can all see, it will always be important to take some time out for God. Taking even just a few minutes each day to be still with our Creator will give us the renewal of spirit that we all need everyday.

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Psalm 51:10 (NIV)