The heavens declare
the glory of God.
The skies display his
marvelous craftsmanship.
Day after day they
continue to speak
Psalm 19:1-2
There is a haunting question. I hear it pour forth from loving people all of the time: What about those who don't know God? What about those who don't believe in Jesus Christ? What will happen to them?
Their logic is this: I love these people. Doesn't God love them? Are you telling me he'll just cast them away?
No!
Nothing could be further from the truth.
If you love -- you who are a mix of godliness and sin -- don't you know that God loves these people a million times more. God is love. He's their Father. God the Son died for them. He casts no one away.
God, indeed, speaks to everyone. That's what today's verses are all about. They're saying that we can't not know God exists. "The heavens declare" his existence. "Day after day they continue to speak" to every person on earth.
We can't not know! That's the message of scripture. We can't not know ... unless we harden our hearts. Unless we are proud -- thinking our knowledge is above God's, thinking we're more loving and compassionate than the Father, thinking the world would be a better place if we were in charge.
We know ... unless we don't want to know. That's the consistent message of scripture. All we have to do is look at the vastness of the sky. That's what this Psalm says.
The Apostles put it like this -- Romans 1:19-24 --
For the truth about God
is known to them instinctively.
God has put this knowledge in their hearts.
From the time the world was created,
people have seen the earth and sky
and all that God made.
They can clearly see
his invisible qualities --
his eternal power and divine nature.
So they have no excuse whatsoever
for not knowing God.
Yes, they knew God,
but they wouldn't worship him as God
or even give him thanks.
And they began to think up
foolish ideas of what God was like.
The result was that their minds
became dark and confused.
Claiming to be wise,
they became utter fools instead.
And instead of worshiping
the glorious, ever-living God,
they worshiped idols ...
So God let them go ahead
and do whatever shameful things
their hearts desired.
We can't not know. It's instinct. We have a God-shaped hole in our hearts. God himself put it there. "Day after day [God and his creation] continue to speak."
We can't not know ... unless we don't want to ... unless we are proud and choose not to listen ... unless we close our eyes and shut our hearts and walk away.
In Christ's Love,
a guy who hates the inevitable downside
of a human invention -- light pollution.
Because have you ever stood
in a truly dark place -- like northern Canada –
and seen the Milky Way so thick
that its more real than the clouds in the sky,
and the stars number in the millions
and not just the dozens?
"The heavens [truly do] declare
the glory of God"
No comments:
Post a Comment