Psalm 19:1-4a
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
I
f you are reading this devotion from Northern Georgia you wish the sun would come out and do some glorifying!
At the time that I am writing this, we have had nothing but rain for weeks! We have seen the same day happen over and over again. Little variation in temperature and rain... lots of rain.
"Oh that You would rend the heavens and bring a towel!"
In these long stretches, we pray for just a little bit of light and warmth. What joy it would give us to have just a glimpse of the sun! It would change how we see everything. In fact, it would kind of redeem the world. We would notice beauty again. The mud would dry and the flowers would stand up and stretch. We could step outside and just breathe for a moment without having to run through the cold rain to get to the shelter of our car.
This also describes the season of Lent. The hymns have returned to minor keys, the alleluias are missing, the sanctuary is draped in dark purple banners, and we sense the judgment of God falling on us like driving rain, but we are not swept away.
Above it all, in a way that we cannot always see or even feel the sun is still shining. God said: “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. (Genesis 1:14-15) The sun, the stars, the moon, and the planets are still obeying the voice of God that spoke once long ago, and by doing so they declare his glory and testify to the power of his Word.
We know that the Son still shines over and above this dark season of repentance. He shines to pierce through our guilt and shame. He shines to lighten the burdens we carry. Easter joy will break our gloom. Christ, the Light of the World, who was crucified for your sins is coming and all of creation will shout for joy! You will shine like the stars of the heavens on that day!
No matter our gloom or griefs we are his people and we have been called out of the darkness to declare that his reign is unending.
Gracious Lord, the world is your temple, and it waits for you to return to it. May we not lose patience or heart as we also wait for that day. Give us the courage to declare the gospel that breaks the gloom. Amen.
Written by: Rev. Zach Hoffman
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Gainesville, GA
