When I Look at the Stars

...what do you see? Or maybe Who do you see, as Switchfoot presents in one of my favorite songs of theirs:

I was reading Psalm 19 today, and found the following verses a beautiful declaration of what the skies represent:

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 19:1-4a

It's like the stars are singing about God every night, and the clouds and the sun shouting His glory every day. What wonderful imagery that conveys profound truth: nature is the first revelation of God's character and creativity that He chose to reveal. But what really struck me about these verses was how active the language is. The voice of the heavens "goes out...to the ends of the world." It seems that, even from the beginning, God was pursuing us. All of us actually -- "There is not speech of language where their voice is not heard."

I live in a place where I am often the minority, wading in a sea of languages I may never understand amidst foreign faces and names I would struggle to pronounce. I actually remember the first couple times I had to communicate a message to someone who probably spoke less than ten words of English -- it's difficult! As a result, I don't often try to communicate with these folks.

But when I read these verses, it tells me that God has created a language that speaks to all nations, and is doing so, right now. It shows me that I should never neglect the truth that God is working in other peoples' lives, especially in languages other than mine, and in countries other than the U.S.

From the beginning God wanted a relationship with the whole world, and made it possible through His Son. We have the humble choice to recognize that message, and join in on the choir.