Beauty Revelation || Psalm 19:1-2 || Manna for the Mind #67

Welcome to Day 67 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional series! This series is about taking scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses) and building our understanding of their teachings through their context and connecting scripture. I believe that doing this helps us understand how to be the type of human that God created us to be.

Today’s passage is Psalm 19:1-2. The focus today is on the details of God’s craftsmanship.

Psalm 19:1-2

1             The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.

2             Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.

The skies, a testament to the majesty of God, showcase the intricate brushstrokes of the clouds, the sun, the light reflections, and everything in between. Each day, we are privileged to witness a new revelation on this divine canvas. The atmosphere’s energy during the day beckons us to go out and share God’s glory with the world, and the night, a mirror of our actions, reflects how well we did. The stars in the sky may flash in Morse code, or the clouds may obscure the view to reveal a painted image. This passage is a call to reflection and conversation with the divine. Paul shares a more direct idea in Romans 1:19-20.

Romans 1:19-20

19           They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.

20           For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

God reveals his characteristics in and through his creations. These characteristics, such as love, justice, mercy, and wisdom, are what we are called to reflect on the world; we were created in his image. So, every person, therefore, either accepts or rejects God. When the day comes for God to judge how you responded to him, there will be no excuses for why you responded how you did. Let me pause for a second. It’s easy for people to claim they reject God because of how poorly we humans reflect who he is to each other. We are judgmental creatures, and God did not give us the power to judge. We are selfish creatures, and God did not tell us to be selfish. We misinterpret scripture and use it to judge and condemn others. It’s easy for people to want to reject him because we do not do an excellent job of showing who God really is.

Nature serves as a window into the divine, revealing God’s might, intelligence, intricate detail, order, beauty, and control over powerful forces. We learn about God’s love and forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life through special revelation. God has graciously provided us with numerous sources to deepen our faith in him. The potential to discover God’s power and intelligence is vast. The ability to perceive the details, order, and beauty he weaves into his creation is awe-inspiring. We are urged to actively seek it out, to comprehend its significance. It won’t simply cross our path, even though it’s all around us. We must be intentional. It’s all around us, yet often overlooked.

God shows his divine nature and personal qualities through creation, even though creation was distorted thanks to Adam, Eve, and the snake! The ‘Fall of Man ‘, a term used to describe the transition of the first humans from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience, resulted in a divine curse upon the natural order; thorns and thistles were the immediate result, and natural disasters have existed ever since. This event, often referred to as the ‘Original Sin ‘, was a consequence of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God’s command not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It’s worth actually sharing what those curses were in Genesis 3:17-19.

Genesis 3:17-19

17           And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.

18           It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains.

19           By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

Life is going to be about work. There will be constant struggles, but Jesus told us that would happen. Jesus taught us that we’d have to go and get the food, but there would be plenty of it. God still provided out of this curse to ensure we were cared for. It just wasn’t going to come easy. God had everything for Adam and Eve in the Garden until they worked to lose it all. God cares for us in that same capacity. When life feels cursed, and all hope is lost, we know that God is still with us and can see through all our surroundings.

Father, we thank you for never leaving us. Life would feel meaningless and more challenging than nails if it weren’t for you. Even though we don’t follow the path you created for us, you still gift and renew us daily with your grace and mercy. God’s grace refers to his unmerited favor, his willingness to forgive and bless us despite our sins, while his mercy refers to his compassion and forgiveness towards us, especially when we don’t deserve it. May we never take that for granted. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen.