These Kinds of Things Speak Loudly
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.
Psalm 19:1-3
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
Psalm 95:3-6
These kinds of things speak loudly. Singing birds, rushing water, gentle breezes, breaking tide, budding trees, blossoming flowers, twinkling stars, blazing sun, pillowy clouds, rustling grass, roaring waterfall, crashing waves, bleating lamb, bounding deer, lowing cow, hissing snake; all to His glory, all by his might, all show a glimpse, none can compare.
These kinds of things are commonplace earthly and natural, but they are so much more – they are speakers, revealers, indicators, reminders of “the Lord… a great God, and a great King above all gods.” The depth of the Marina Trench to the peak of Mount Everest are his belonging, his creation, his property. The Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic; the Sahara, Gobi, Mojave, Sonoran are His belongings and His handiwork. He upholds the universe by the word of His power, he sustains all things, in Him all things hold together.
These kinds of things are assumed, taken for granted, normal, experienced, but they are so much more – they provide a window into the abnormal, the supernatural, the magnificent, the transcendent. They show the Lord who is our Rock, our fortress, our deliverer. From the threadsnake to the elephant, the buttercup to the sequoia, all are imagined and vivified in His wisdom and might. He forms the tiniest element to the largest structure; He works all things in His care and providence.
These kinds of things are unnoticed, coincidental, usual, constant, familiar, but they are so much more – they bring sight and sense to inform and call a verdict, to show off and display. They remind us that “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” From Centauri the burning and glowing hypergiant, to the bioluminescent anglerfish deep in the trenches of the Sea, God dwells in unapproachable light, but shares glimpses of light in physical beings, illuminating both our vision and also informing our Spirit that there is a source of this light, this truth, this existence.
These kinds of things are neighbors, friends, family, acquaintances, coworkers, strangers, foreigners, but they are so much more – they are made in the image of God and share communicable attributes with the Master of existence. From the child born in a silent night in a remote village, to the raging king sitting on a throne. From the quiet grandmother just happy to have her family near, to the capable athlete pressing toward that goal or that accomplishment. From the person who delivers your packages, to the doctor who performed your open-heart surgery. These are His creation, His imagination, His image-bearers and fashioned by his craft and care.
“What is man, that you give him any thought, and reveal your goodness to him? You have made him a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands…” (Psalm 8, paraphrase) We are God’s creation – the crown of it. Yet, like the birds and fish, the lion and the sheep, the whale and the elephant, the mouse and the hippopotamus, the star and the ocean floor, the sun and the moon, we are meant to point toward, cry out, and display the glory of God.
Mankind finds his true purpose in worship – in kneeling before the Lord our maker. The created things? They speak loudly. They tell their own tale of the creator, they bear His fingerprints, they owe their life and existence to Him. People? We owe debts of all kinds to Him – debts of praise, debts of belonging, debts of gratitude for breath and blood and brain and ability – a debt of guilt as well, a debt of enmity and chasmic separation – a gulf that was spanned by the Creator stepping into Creation.
This kind of thing is unimaginable, mysterious, extraordinary, Divine, prodigious, wonderful, but it is so much more – God taking on human flesh, condescending to walk among His people, his created beings, it is inexpressibly good. God taking on human sin, bearing guilt when no guilt was his, this is incomprehensibly wonderful. These things speak loudly – they speak of our need, our want, our guilt, our depth of depravity and lack of purpose. Creation speaks, and the whole world hears its word. The prophets speak, and those who listen must have ears to hear. God speaks, and has Spoken by His Son, Jesus Christ – and God speaks loudly. He speaks over creation and chaos, wind and wave, and says “come unto me.” Come, first for forgiveness and redemption, find peace, hope, and strength. He says, “come unto me, all you who are burdened.” Come, find relief and rest from your labors and efforts to make meaning of all that speaks loudly but sounds like muddled noise to the untrained ear.
“Oh, come! Let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart…” Listen – these kings of things speak loudly, and Christ speaks loudly. Come to Him, kneel before Him, bow before Him, and worship Him.
Pastor Aaron Frost
March 19, 2022
