Jump Start # 2354

Psalms 19:3 “There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard.”

Our verse today reminds us of silent voices. Now, that sounds like an inconsistency and something that cannot happen. If it’s silent, how can it speak? How do we hear silent voices? There are at least three that I can think of.

First, there is the voice of the Heavens declaring the work of God. This is where our verse is based.

Second, there is the voice of the far country. This is what the prodigal heard. It was calling him to leave his home and seek fun and pleasures that are not limited and have no rules. Listening to that voice put the prodigal into all kinds of problems.

Third, there is the voice of the righteous dead. Hebrews tells us that Abel speaks though he is dead. No one actually hears his voice. It’s the influence, example, and hope that he walked in. It’s that voice that we hear.

The voice of Heaven is what I want to focus upon today. The context tells us that it is telling of the glory of God. Day to day pours forth speech, yet our verse says there are no words and no voice is heard. Creation points to God. Creation screams that someone caused all of this. It’s there, you don’t hear it, but you certainly see it.

Now, what are some things that we notice.

First, creation is beautiful, as God is. Have you noticed all the different colors in the spring? Colorful flowers. Big white clouds floating across a dark blue sky. All the different shades of green. Yesterday, the wind was blowing from the east. That doesn’t happen much. Usually, it’s from the west. It turned several of the leaves upside down on the trees. The bottom side of the leaves are not the same color as the topside.

Second, creation is noisy. Have you ever just sat on a back porch, without your phone or tablet and just listened. The wind makes a noise. The birds have their own unique song. It’s as if God’s orchestra is playing a song. Have you stood by a river and listened? The river makes a noise. We are surrounded by artificial noises such as alarm clocks, blow dryers, cars, phones, radios that we often do not hear the sounds of Heaven.

Third, creation has an order to it. Disney called it the circle of life. God calls it His world. Little bugs eat things in the flowers. Birds eat the bugs. Bigger birds eat the little birds. The rain, the sun, the temperature all brings life to the grasses, the trees and the yards. Everything is connected together. And, more than that, there are laws and order that define this creation. The sun always comes up in the morning. It’s been doing that since the days of Adam. Rain falls, flows into the rivers, which flows into the oceans, it’s evaporated along the way and forms clouds and rains again. The sciences abound here. There is botany, zoology, biology, chemistry, meteorology, oceanography, animal sciences, and astronomy. Those are major studies in universities. But here they are, are strung together, overlapping each other, every single day. We may not recognize these things, or even care much about it, but they are there.

Forth, creation is beneficial to mankind. The colors, the landscapes, the sounds, the smells, have all influenced art, photography, poetry, music and even our moods. A bright sunny day makes us feel good. But a dark, gloomy, snowy day, makes one feel that way on the insides. It is from the created world that our food comes from. We do not live independent of creation, but we are a part of it and we survive because of it.

Finally, what is God telling us without words in this created universe? First, He is big. The world is big. The United States is huge. Drive from one coast to the other coast and it takes you days to do that. And, when you look at a globe, the United States isn’t all that big. Our God is big. He’s bigger than we are. He’s bigger than any problem we face. He is bigger than this world.

Second, our God is good. There are days when nature gets ugly. Strong storms can knock power out, and destroy lives in a second. Earthquakes can destroy whole villages. But those days are few. Most times we enjoy the goodness of the day. God is good. God gives. God helps.

Third, we cannot escape from the created world. From atoms, to cells, to oxygen, to the food we eat, the natural world is our world. And, like this, we cannot get away from God. You can ignore God, but He’s there. You can deny God, but He’s there. You can live as if He doesn’t exist, but each moment of the day, you are benefiting from His blessings. He sends the rain and the sun upon the righteous as well as the unrighteous. There is never a time that I cannot find God. There is never a time when God cannot hear my prayer. There is never a time when God is too busy for us.

Fourth, God has done all of this for us. He truly loves us. Can you imagine a world that is totally black and white? No color. I wouldn’t do well with that. I need bright ties and colorful socks. I like color on my walls and color in the things I print. Can you imagine a world without taste? You eat, but everything is the same. No salty. No sweet. Can you imagine a world without smells? Fresh bread. New mown lawns. How about a world without any music? No singing children. No hymns in church. No song birds. No whistling. All of these things add to our world. It makes our world interesting, enjoyable and pleasant.

Fifth, God has left His fingerprints on all of His creation. It points to Him. As lovely as this world can be, Heaven will even be better. Sunrises and sunsets. Grand canyons and Mammoth Caves. Water falls and mountain peaks. Beaches and bright sun shinning on snowy fields. Starry nights and babbling creeks. Young colts running in the fields and kittens. A majestic eagle soaring across the sky and rainbows in the sky. Beautiful. Breath-taking. And, nothing like Heaven. He made all of this within a week. His power. His design. His engineering. His artistic flair. His love of music. His imagination. The creation speaks of all of this. God is good. God is wonderful. And, if He has done this here, just imagine what Heaven will be like.

This is my Father’s world…and He has allowed you and I to enjoy it. So thankful we ought to be. So blessed we ought to feel. And, we ought to long with great anticipation for that final heavenly home.

Everyday when you walk out of the house, Heaven is speaking to you. There are no words, but it’s speaking loudly. Get your face out of your phone. Turn off the radio. Look around. Smell. Listen. Think. Heaven is speaking to you. Do you hear it?

Roger