Making Space to Listen

 

JUNE 25, 2025

Psalm 19:1-4

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.

 

John Muir (1838- 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the US National Parks system", was a Scottish-born American naturalist, and early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States. Muir often wrote about seeing “the finger of God” in every mountain and tree. He once said, “Every hidden cell is throbbing with music and life, every fiber thrilling like harp strings.” He knew Psalm 19 by experience.

Psalm 19 teaches us that creation is not silent. Nature doesn’t whisper about God’s glory—it shouts it. It speaks. It declares. It pours forth speech, not in words we can hear, but in a language that touches our soul. King David, who wrote this Psalm, looks up at the heavens and in the depth of his soul receives a fresh message every day and night and no translator is needed. The message is clear: God is glorious. God is wise. God is the Artist behind it all. 

Modern life can dull our senses. We’re so used to screens, schedules, and noise that we often forget to look up. Do you feel, as I do that summer slows us down just enough to notice again, to look up and around. The sound of waves, the rustling of trees, the crash of a summer thunderstorm, all of it proclaims God's majesty if we are willing to listen. Let us make space to hear the “speech” of creation.

You see the Bible reminds us, that creation doesn’t just point to beauty, oh it does that for sure, but it more importantly points to a Creator. And that truth can reawaken our hearts to worship and wonder.

Let's Pray

God of glory, thank You for the skies that speak of Your beauty and the world that points to Your power. Tune my heart to hear what creation is proclaiming. Help me slow down and look up. Let the wonder of Your works lead me into deeper worship. Amen.

Take a walk today without your phone on. (Be Safe Though) Listen. Look up. Look around. What is God's abundant creation saying to you?