Tag Archives: Psalm 19:1

It’s Light That Helps You See, But it’s EVIDENCE That Helps You Decide

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Over the past week or so, we’ve discussed the seven “I Am” statements of Christ, in which he proclaimed himself Light of the World. We’ve also investigated the Word, or the Logos from the Book of John. In his prologue, John refers to the Word as “the true light that gives light to every man”. (John 1:9, NIV) Light is defined as “the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.” Upon reflection, light may help you see where you are going, but it doesn’t dictate which course you choose to take. However, it’s interesting that John says Jesus was “the true light, that gives light to every man coming into the world”.

It’s What You See

I used to think this statement couldn’t possibly be true, since every man might not have had a chance to see or hear about Jesus (such as all who came before he was born, and everyone who was raised in darkest Africa or China, where Jesus was not a household name…)

But in thinking about him as the Word, as the creative expression of God’s personality, (John 1:3, “without him nothing was made that has been made) it hit me: every man is exposed to some revelation about God through the order and design of the universe, which reflect the creative nature and character of God. As Abraham Lincoln said, “I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how a man could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.”

Sometimes It’s What You Don’t See…

We may not see Jesus directly, but because He is the Word who created all things, we see evidence of Him all around us, as well as above and beyond us. By his work, we know who he is. (“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork.” Psalms 19:1)

If you look at creation, you can certainly get a sense of the personality of the Creator. But here’s the problem: while you can infer a Design from design, you cannot empirically prove that the Designer exists. So why didn’t the Word make himself undeniably evident?

The thing is, God has given us evidence instead of proof so that we have a choice about faith. If I could PROVE God’s existence to you, then you would HAVE to accept it, and faith would play no part in discovering who God is. The creation tells us much about God, but He has not directly revealed himself for good reason.

People who say to God, “Show me who you are and I’ll accept it” are testing the God of the universe and telling Him to come to them on their own terms… But God doesn’t do that. He comes to us on His terms, and He has already told us how that will happen.

Be Careful What You Wish For

C.S. Lewis points out that people who want God to appear before them may be asking the wrong question. “But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on the stage the play is over… That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not” (p. 65, Mere Christianity).

In our daily exposure to creative design, we encounter the Word of God. (Since He created those things, it makes sense that we would see Him in them, right?) It is interesting to compare the teachings of Christ to the structure of the universe, and to see the intimate details wrought into galaxies and microbes, to realize just how astoundingly right John was. Jesus taught about agriculture, the Kingdom of Heaven, and about seeing the Father. There is beauty in the creator’s handiwork that can only be discovered in the light of the Word.

The Power of Light

There is light coming to us from the vast reaches of space, from stars whose network of gravitational power holds us in exactly the right place in our solar system so that we can exist. Light comes from our own sun, which keeps us from freezing, activates photosynthesis in plants, provides us with vitamins, and which makes it possible for us here on earth to experience life and growth.

There is order in the ways things operate, whether you look as far out into the heavens as you can, or as deeply into the microscope as it is possible to look. Every created thing reflects principles of order and design. God’s handiwork displays infinite scale that is both massive and microscopic; there is relationship, there are consequences, there is harmony and truth.

See if Abraham Lincoln was right. Go out to the country on a clear night and gaze into the stars, past the constellations and out into space. Think about the fact that some of the light your eyes can see has traveled thousands of light-years across space! What twinkles before you originated before the pyramids. See if your soul isn’t stirred a bit, if you don’t find yourself a little bit in awe of the Creator… Compare what you feel to what you know about the Word of God. It just may be that you are receiving more light out there than you ever realized before.

The Evidence of Light

Did the Word create the universe? This question is not minor,
“The heavens declare”, the Bible says! Design suggests Designer.
John declared that the Word was light, that somewhere in God’s plan
There is a revelation that has come to every man.
The skeptic calls this false, of course,
And says you cannot prove the source;
He hopes he will not have remorse,
But counts upon a cosmic force…
He says, “The world that we can see is just a case time and chance,
Which points not to a deity, but purely came from happenstance.”
Since it was not observable, the origin of all things must hang
Upon a logical assumption Science likes to call “Big Bang”.

This kind of independent thinking prospers and persists
Since God will not force anyone to know that He exists.
He offers every man–not proof– which would be undeniable;
But evidence, so that man’s faith would not be unreliable.
The order of the universe declares eternal truth,
But Science says “Big Bang” because it needs additional proof.
It may seem right to look around, and ask God for a sign;
But if there’s light when you look up, perhaps there is design…

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

Glory Isn’t Something You See Every Day. Or, Is It??

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I would imagine that you have seen glory a few times. Webster ( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glory ) defines it as “great beauty and splendor; magnificence”. You can probably recall some things you have seen that fit that definition, but I wonder: do we walk around every day as if we are in the midst of something glorious?

David and others thought so, and expressed it in the Book of Psalms. They looked around, and looked up, and there it was.

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.” (Psalm 8:1, NIV) “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19:1, NIV) “O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.” (Psalm 26:8, NIV)

Just Look Up

The average ancient man had a far greater insight to astronomy than we do today. After all, they didn’t have electricity so there was no earthly competition to impede starlight and no corruption of the view. Sailors navigated by the stars, and religions built observation temples to track their pathways in the night skies. Wise men spent hours contemplating the heavens and tracking their movement. The average person’s perception of how the moon and the stars moved through the heavens was far more acute than most of ours is today…

David shared that understanding of the night skies, but he also had a wonderful sense of spiritual perception. Just because people behold the same majesty, it doesn’t mean they are affected the same way, and they don’t always see the same thing. David’s heart was moved by what he saw.

It’s not totally surprising, when you think about all of the nights he spent out in the countryside tending sheep, sleeping beneath the canopy of space. There were no city lights, there was no TV and no glowing media to distract him—just the vastness of the universe spread overhead as far as he could see! David beheld the infinite richness of light in the darkness, the movement of the constellations in the heavens, and he had hours of time to reflect on what it must mean.

The Power and the Glory

He apparently came to the conclusion that the universe was amazing, and so was The One who made it. He saw glory, and attributed that glory to God. David carried that impression throughout his entire life, whether he was a shepherd, a hero, a fugitive, a king, or a sinner. God was amazing and glorious, and David’s humility and awe before Him set the foundation for a lifetime love affair.

The evidence David saw about the Creator’s majesty affected his heart as well, and he lived his life with a profound understanding that God’s glory was not just around him but was also within him. When he said, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”, he was acknowledging the Creator’s work not just around him, but within him as well.

All of us have had moments like that, when we got a glimpse of God’s majesty and re-calibrated our place in the universe. Maybe it happened to you when you saw an amazing sunset, approached snow-capped mountains rising from the plains, or lay out on a hillside at night and gazed into the dazzling vastness of the Milky Way: God’s presence surrounded and astounded you, and called you to worship the Creator. Perhaps you even felt God’s glory in the midst of a church service, singing a song or lost in worship…Most of us live ordinary lives touched by splashes of glory.

What if we had the chance to live glorious lives touched daily by God? What if it were possible to see miracles everywhere? When was the last time God was glorious to you? When was the last time you felt the awesomeness of God, and felt humbled and reverent before Him? How long has it been since you saw God for who he is and fell in love with Him a little more?

Man-made Glory

I’ve toured some amazing cathedrals in Europe, and I know they were built on a magnificent scale to try to capture a smidgen of God’s glory. When you enter them and look around, you feel a sense of awe and wonder. Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth details the blood, sweat, and effort that went into building some of them, and it’s a good read. The intent behind them was similar to the passion behind the Temple in Jerusalem, to show worshipers a glimpse of glory.

In our casual world of flip-flops and coffee in church, I sometimes long for worship where we encounter God in his glory. In our world of busy-ness and distraction, I long for reflection and reverence. If, like me, you struggle sometimes with seeing God in His glory, then remember this: the most important place we encounter God is not in nature, and not even in His house, but in the sanctuary of our hearts.

Under His New Covenant, we are the temple where He resides. You are fearfully and wonderfully made–not just physically, but spiritually as well. God’s glory is not limited to what is above you, but is resident within you, and seeks to express itself through you.

Where do you find God’s glory? Look up. Look around. Then, look within. Re-calibrate. God’s glory all around you may also be the glory shining through you.

Glory

The heavens display the glory of God! We see his presence there,
Far-flung among the galaxies and painted everywhere.
The palette of the sunsets blazes forth in every hue
As pink and gold are splashed across the heaven’s perfect blue.
The mountains rise majestically beyond us from afar
Reminding us how big God is, and just how small we are.
We all know His glory in the grandest things abides,
But there’s a place much closer where His presence still resides;
To truly see God’s glory, here’s the place where you should start:
Don’t gaze at the horizon, take a look inside your heart.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here:  https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%