“The word and the world”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, November 30, 2024
Psalm 19 (Forward, p. 32) CEV p. 565
The apostle Paul tells us that the world at large is without excuse when it comes to knowing about God—not knowing Him personally but knowing about Him. Here’s what he has to say to the church in Rome: “Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1: 20).
This is the starting point for today’s psalm. Here the psalmist says, “The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done…They don’t speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world” (verses 1 &3).
That, you might say, is the starting point. As with Romans, it points us, alerts us, to the existence of God and gives us some very faint clues as to what He might be like—but little else. Here’s where the rest of Psalm 19 kicks in:
It reveals to us that God is a personal being, a relatable being,
one that we can get to know.
It tells us that God is a God who speaks, who reveals His will and
purposes and actually teaches us.
It reminds us that God’s purposes are loving and benign and that He
wishes and works for our good.
It asserts that God’s ways, God’s decisions, are correct and fair, and
well worth the effort in adhering to and obeying. They are worth
more than the finest gold, and sweeter than any honey.
And it reassures us that, even though we run afoul of these orders,
these commands, at time, there is always room for change and a
new start, and forgiveness as well.
This reminds me of something that is often said. People who disavow any ‘organized’ religion often point to the fact that they can worship God in nature, which, of course, they can certainly do. Indeed, this certainly fits in with what our psalm says in its opening verses (verses 1-6) and what Paul suggests. But then, can they actually relate to God personally by so doing? That becomes the thousand-dollar question: can God speak to them and they to God?
And, even if they ‘feel’ a personal connection therein, is that enough? Is that truly satisfying? To answer this, let me borrow a page from something happening right now here in Canada. The world-renowned musical phenomenon, Taylor Swift, is here and her many fans are absolutely a gaga. They feel such a personal connection to her and her music. All that is fine and good, but what if there is more? What if they could actually get to know her, go backstage, have lunch with her, spend a weekend with her, work with her, correspond or phone back and forth? Wouldn’t that be so much greater: to actually relate to her and know her personally, rather than just knowing about her? That’s why knowing about God only through nature is never ‘quite enough’. Thanks be to God that we can go further than that. Thanks be to God that we can know Him both through His world, and through His personal word to us.
Forward notes: “More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold; sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb” (verse 10).
“One of the more unusual hobbies I have is beekeeping. We have one hive right now that we are looking to split into two in the coming spring. I have learned how a bee colony sustains itself, how to identify pollen, brood, and honey, and when the hive is ready for a honey harvest.
“I have learned that bees do most of their work in the dark of the hive. They spin nectar into honey, create wax for their combs, and nurture one another, all in darkness. The sweet work they do isn’t on display but hidden from sight.
“So, it is for us as disciples. Our work is not to be proclaimed with shouts but done quietly as servants of God, buzzing around in service, tiny messengers leaving pollinated flowers in our wake.”
Moving Forward: “A single bee might only make one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its life. If you have ever felt small or insignificant, consider that you don’t work alone; each of us is responsible for only the smallest piece.”