CONSIDER THE STARS
Opening Prayer
We do not keep the universe working—that is God’s job! Praise him as creator.
Read Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 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.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Sunday is often a day of rest. We cease from work, but God does not—he is always watching over us.Every sighted person has, at some time or other, stared out at the vast expanse of the night sky in awe and wonder. For some people the vision is chilling: they see black emptiness and feel alone in the universe. But when we look rightly, the heavens “speak” of a glorious creator. The great scientist Johannes Kepler saw his work as “merely thinking God’s thoughts after him.”
The insight of this psalm is that the universe has not only physical laws, but moral ones too, reflecting the moral nature of its Creator. Verse 7 moves from the physical wonder of the universe to “the law of the Lord.” All we see in the night sky is light, either reflected or directly emitted from stars. In the same way the commands of the law are radiant, giving light (8). The call to live “in the fear of the Lord” (9) is an invitation to live in tune with the laws of the universe, which are ethical as well as physical. These are proven true in human experience (11).
Apply
Verse 14 invites us not only to observe, but also to contribute to the symphony of creation through our words and attitudes. Contribute to the order in creation by obeying God today.
Closing prayer
Focus on something in creation as you offer yourself to God today.
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