Glory in Silent Stars
They say car ownership is a waste of money, since most cars spend around 94% of their existence sitting, not being used. They say the car hobby is silly, since most people spend around 94% of their existence not driving.
“They” would be right, if their arguments weren’t resting on a single deeply flawed argument: “cars are useless when they’re sitting still.”
But cars at rest are still cars. Rewarding to work on, interesting to learn about, and oh-so-satisfying to look at, cars are constantly worthwhile for something.
This constancy is the point of Psalm 19, specifically the first four verses: “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 display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” At any given time, day or night, either a sun, moon, or planet is visible. They don’t say much, but their presence, magnitude, orderliness, consistency, and quantity speak volumes on the creativity and capability of God.
Look skyward and see evidence of God. His power is harnessing the Sun as it powers solar panels around the world, and rests gently on a flower’s leaf. His faithfulness is keeping countless bodies in orbit. And his accessibility is allowing certain stars and planets to arrange in playful shapes, like a big dipper, an archer, or a bear.
Perhaps God put such care into “the heavens” because of their ubiquity; everyone lives under the sky. Most people won’t see Mt. Calvary in their lifetime. Some cannot see at all. Yet everyone lives under the sky. Some people don’t have access to the Bible. Some live or work with people who aren’t Christ-followers, and long for that encouragement and love. Yet everyone lives under the sky. Some can no longer leave their home due to poor health. Some are incarcerated. Yet everyone lives under the sky.
This Psalm was written “for the director of music,” which means it was intended to be used in a worship setting. So for the last 3,000 years or so, God’s people around the world have been encouraging each other to look up at the stars and see the power and faithfulness of God. Today, we can look at the same stars and have that same encouragement.
Psalm 19 ends with some guidance for these star-gazing Christ-followers. What are we supposed to do when we’re in awe of God’s power and faithfulness?
Let the law of God revive our souls, bring joy to our hearts, and give light to our eyes.
Value God’s law above gold, because it warns us and protects us.
Ask God to forgive and absolve us from hidden and intentional sins.
Commit our words and thoughts to God.
Cars, like stars, say a lot in their silence. Sometimes they even teach us about God. It all depends on how you look at them.
