The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
When I stand at the rocky top of Mt. Si or on the sand at Cannon Beach, I’m always blown away by the enormousness (if that’s a word) of the steep cliffs and dunes surrounding me. The though that there is Someone big enough to create this beauty is a little terrifying yet wonderful. And I happen to think God is the One who created all of this. When I look at this world around me, I become very aware that there is a God who undeniably decided to give me life in the middle of all of this vast space.
I want to get to that same place of awe and respectful awareness of the magnitude of His commands and words. I see that He provides what is needed for life to continue, from the perfect mix of elements to breathe and the sun to warm and produce life; what if I applied that same appreciation to His law? His direction and authority flow from the same God who gave us the world around us. His laws may seem enormous at times, but we can see His handiwork and His love for us in them, too.
When I consider this beauty and all the laws of nature and how they keep life going, I am in awe of God’s thought process. It makes me realize that these laws that He gives us may just have the same effect—keeping life going for generation after generation.