Words of the Skies

My mother loved clouds. Really, she loved nature in general. But in recent years, she was particularly fascinated with clouds. Subjects of her photography were as often clouds as they were family and friends.

So this morning as I read the opening lines of Psalm 19, I naturally thought of her.

"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

Perhaps King David was enjoying the simplicity of a glorious sunrise, and his thoughts turned to the simple joys of following his God. After describing the beauty of the heavens, he said, "The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving 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" (Ps. 19:7-8).

Perhaps David was awake before dawn because he couldn't sleep, worried about a decision to be faced. Or perhaps the weight of his position made rest impossible. Sometimes you have to find wisdom in the simple before you can find wisdom in more complicated and confusing matters. I imagine that he found comfort in the knowledge that God's laws of nature as well as those of morality are perfect. Even without a proper amount of sleep, I think David probably felt very rested that morning. Drawing on God's strength provides much more energy than an ordinary night's sleep.

I myself was awake before dawn this morning. The window of our study faces east and is calling me to just sit and watch. I think I'll go listen to the skies talk.