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From the Stars to God’s Story

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (Psa 19:14). The starry sky over a village on a dark day is a treat for the eyes, but the city's sky, polluted with light from automobiles, street lights, and high-rise buildings, dims this view. Stunned by this display, the psalmist lying on his back outside his house muses: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psa 19:1). In the day, he watches the sun rising in the East and moving to the West, lightening and warming the earth (Psa 19:4—6). The creation is a witness to the splendour of its creator.
The psalmist's musings stray to another revelation of the creator of the universe in the second part of the Psalm (Psa 19:7—14). It is the Bible, the revelation of God’s will, that he gave to his people to know him and follow him. “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Psa 19:7). The Scripture, where God’s will is revealed, does far more than what the sun, moon, and stars could do. While the constellation lights up, warms, and makes life possible on this blue planet, real life with God is only possible through God's Word. The Word of God imparts wisdom (v. 7), brings gladness to the human heart (v.8), and is most desirable. “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” Psa 19:10). It is more desirable than scanning the starry sky or enjoying the cool of the cheesy moon or warming up in the Sun on a beech. The Word of God makes life with God richer as we ponder on the truths in its pages. Nature reveals God, but the Word of God goes deeper. It shows how to get closer to the creator as it guides us in the path of God by warning when our feet stray away from the path of life (Psa 19:11). By tracing the journey of his thoughts from the creation to the Word of the creator, the Psalmist invites us to delve into the Word and cherish it to grow in wisdom.

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