Hearing God's Voice in the PsalmsSample

The Skies Speak

“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 display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1–4 NIV84):

Every single day, the story of God is on display and proclaimed. The story is as close as a glance to the sky. For those looking and listening, the story is on auto-repeat. The story is displayed and broadcast to every nation and every generation. It is multilingual, multiracial, multigenerational, informative, and present for all until the end of this world.

The heavens declare, and the skies proclaim. They have done so since Genesis 1:1. It has been their privilege to speak on behalf of their Creator each and every day. They speak to inform. Their voice is one of guidance. Every day, they fulfill their responsibilities in many ways to convey their message.

What are they saying? What are they communicating? What information are they making available?

They speak of their Creator. The sunrise and the sunset tell the same story from two completely different perspectives. The clear skies and the clouds speak of the One higher than them. The rain and snowflakes fall, echoing the same message of the One who sent them. The stars flicker their personalized message of the Creator’s capacity. They align in constellations to reflect the Creator’s brilliance.

The pulse of a thunderous cloud proclaims His power. The lightning bolt reminds all creatures of His sovereignty. The fierce winds that can snap branches and uproot trees are a message that old things can pass away and new things come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Day after day, they repeat their message. They do so in the brilliance of midday and the stillness of night. They do so in the whirlwind and the gentleness of a rolling fog. They do so in the Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. There is never a moment when they are not proclaiming the glory of God.

They tell the story of His greatness and His gentleness. Every cloud formation proclaims both. What appears to be the random direction of a lightning bolt is a specific revelation of His capacity to intervene as He pleases. Every breeze that blows whispers His constant presence. Every ray of sunshine, moonlight, or starlight reveals His great capacity to show us the way. Every dawning of a new day tells of the great hope we can have in Him as we face our days. He hung the heavens and the skies to proclaim His ability to guide us, lead us, and to defeat the darkness that has affected us. They proclaim His ability to turn darkness into light.

We only need to lift our eyes to the heavens to receive a moment of encouragement. The God we know shouts every day through His creation that there is none greater than He, and we can trust Him. May my soul hear the good news of the skies as they seek to inform me of my Lord’s capability and creativity.

In verse seven, the Psalmist transitions his focus to another majestic and powerful voice—the Word of God. For several verses, the Psalmist proclaims the perfect guidance of God’s Word. As diverse as the skies are in proclaiming God's glory, the Word of God is more so. It is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, and righteous. His Word revives, imparts wisdom, gives joy and light, and is enduring.

His voice echoes as far as our eye can see above us. It echoes as close as His Word is to us. Over and over, He calls to us. He chooses to make Himself known to our eyes and ears. As high and mighty as He is, He is as close as the sunlight or moonlight that falls upon us. He desires to show you who He is and who He can be to you. He desires to speak into your heart to proclaim His capacity to strike down, blow away, and dissipate the darkness of your days.

The Psalmist understood enough of what he wrote that he finished this Psalm, recognizing there was more to know about the Lord. He desired to honor the Lord with his words and continue to grow in his understanding of His immeasurable nature. He said,

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Friend, I encourage you to follow the example of the Psalmist. Read this Psalm and then look to the skies. They are telling the grandest story of the universe and of all time. As you look and listen, respond. Speak with your lips or write with your pen about what you see and understand of God’s infinite nature. In His presence, pause and allow your heart to ponder the conversation. Allow His infinite nature to soak your heart with peace, awe, and reverence. As you practice this spiritual rhythm, you will know Him in ways you can describe to others.

Since the skies are speaking, let us be still long enough to listen.