The Heavens Declare His Glory
“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
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.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
& makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.”
(Psalm 19:1-6) (Emphasis mine)
Infinite Creativity
Such beautiful poetry is found in certain places throughout the Bible, especially in the Psalms.
I came across this particular Psalm & fell in love with the imagery it presented, talking about one of my favorite works of God’s art in this world—the sky. I love how its colors always change & the shapes of the clouds are always moving & shifting.
The sky is like new art every moment of every day.
God is infinitely creative & in just looking up at the sky & admiring its ever-changing beauty, you see a testament to that! So neat, huh?
Look Up!
I love this reminder to just look up & be reminded that God deserves all the glory… seeing the works of His hand, showing His knowledge, His creativity, His attention to detail, His infiniteness, & even His care of mankind in providing the warmth of the sun.
We only need to look up to see a reminder of how worthy of praise God truly is & how present & available He is to us.
Lift your eyes to the sky & praise His name!
His Word in Light of His Majesty
“The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.”
(Psalm 19:7-9) (Emphasis mine)
Complete, Reliable, Life-Giving TRUTH
That next section of Psalm 19, after it was just reminding us of how glorious, creative, knowledgeable & caring God is, reminds us that He knows best. His Word, in the Bible, is not just good advice, it is PERFECT advice. It works 100%.
And, It Benefits US
Also, this passage does not fail to mention all the ways His Word BENEFITS us when we spend time reading/studying it, applying it, trusting it, & living by it.
It is perfect.
It refreshes the soul.
It is trustworthy.
It gives wisdom.
It is right.
It gives joy to the heart.
It is radiant.
It gives light to the eyes.
Trusting Him & His Word is wholly deserved & endures forever.
It is firm, steady, sure.
It is righteous.
Someone I know said something that really made sense to me. She said, “The Bible is THE MOST transformative book for our hearts & minds… It’s no wonder Satan tries so hard to convince us we don’t need it.”
But…
The slew of reasons we come up with as to why we don’t/shouldn’t read the Bible are endless & I have used most all of them:
“I’m too busy right now.”
“I was going to, but I got distracted.”
“Ugh, headache!”
“I am just so tired! Can’t focus.”
“It’s kind of boring.” (Ha.)
“Isn’t it outdated, though?”
“I don’t see how the rest applies to me, so I stick to the ‘good parts’, so that’s probably enough.”
“I read only specific verses that encourage me, so that’s probably enough.”
“I read passages that talk about my current struggle, so that’s probably enough.”
“I hear the Bible read at church/in Bible Study, so that’s probably enough.”
“I do a Bible study book that has key verses we read, so that’s probably enough.”
I can probably come up with SO MANY MORE reasons I have given myself, not to mention ones I have heard come from others in my circles.
Our Enemy Knows Where to Strike… BUT, GOD
Satan is crafty. He knows how to appeal to our flesh & immediate gratification. He knows what he’s doing & has gotten quite good at convincing us pretty easily… & most of the time we don’t even bother seeing it as giving into the lies of Satan, because we had good intentions to start with, didn’t we?
But I want you to scroll up & re-read those few verses one more time & then think about your reasons for NOT reading & how they are lies offered by Satan… AND THEN consider how mighty, how creative, how wise, how knowledgeable, & how CARING God is that we saw in the first set of verses & remember this: WE CAN ASK FOR GOD’S HELP.
When you consider reading the Bible, but Satan scrolls his infinitely long list of excuses for your ready use, consider that fact: WE CAN ASK FOR GOD’S HELP.
It’s worth it!
Transformed Hearts & Minds
And sure, it SEEMS outdated & old & boring at first, but then something very weird happens, you feel encouraged, uplifted, assured, & stronger the more you read it! Because the more you spend time CONSISTENTLY reading God’s Word, the more you are constantly reminded of the fact that God is so Good, so Wise, so Kind, So Knowledgeable, etc. etc. etc. Your confidence, in HIM, skyrockets the more you read it.
So, don’t stop at the lies, pray for the victory & read ANYWAY.
Why Read the Bible?
Because His Words…
“They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?”
(Psalm 19:10-12) (Emphasis mine)
He Will Help You As You Go
Lean into Him for help & spend time in His Word consistently. You will be surprised to see how accurate this Psalm 19 description of God & His Word turn out to be.
3 years in, & I grow more in love with it every time through it.
Lord, Please…
And to finish off today’s post, I will borrow this short prayer from the final verses found in Psalm 19. May it be our heart cry as we seek to live for Him, through Him:
Lord, “Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth & this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in Your sight,
Lord, my Rock & my Redeemer.”
(Psalm 19:12-14) (Emphasis mine)
AMEN.
Shine HOPE by getting into His Word EVERY SINGLE DAY & asking for God’s help every time Satan tries to knock down your good intentions with his lies. GOD. IS. BIGGER.
Coming Next Week
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As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
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A Note from Michelle:
This blog/website has been running for TWO years now! Thank you for your continued support & encouragement. <3
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Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Onyx Necklace
Modern hammered brass necklace features 3 genuine onyx drops.
Artisan Information:
The poverty cycle in India continues primarily because of the lack of education. Most schools are not free or affordable. Therefore, many children never learn to read or write & they grow up with limited opportunities. However, every purchase of this product empowers women to provide for their children & send them to school! You have the opportunity to end poverty & create an impact for generations to come!
Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
