The Heavens Declare His Glory

When we were camping at Killarney Provincial Park we only had one day of perfectly clear skies. Late that night when campfires had begun to die and I imagined most people were thinking fond thoughts of warm sleeping bags, Bev and I were stumbling through the chilly darkness with only the aid of a small penlight. I was tired and less than enthusiastic. He assured me that the long walk to the lake would be well worth the effort so I swallowed the complaints that were bubbling up in the back of my throat every time I stubbed a toe or lurched into a pothole and instead, kept going. Eventually, we emerged on the narrow beach and came to a halt. The only sound was the soft gurgle and splash of tiny wavelets rolling gently over the smooth pebbles at our feet. Bev turned off the penlight and the night enfolded us.

“Now….look up,” he whispered.

The night sky stretched above us like a lofty cathedral adorned with millions upon millions of shimmering stars. The Milky Way was splashed across the heavens and every constellation stood out in sharp relief. My breath caught in my throat as I stood there humbled in the presence of such majesty. It was so beautiful it made me want to weep….one of those Holy Moments that can draw worship out of a tired and less than enthusiastic heart the way God drew water out of a stone in the desert. The heavens truly do declare His glory.

We never see stars like that in Southern Ontario even on clear nights. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there. We may not be aware of them but their presence, like God’s, is a constant in our lives. It’s just that we live in a very populated area and the lights of the city draw a curtain across our vision, effectively masking the display above us. It is in the absence of all other lights that His glory truly becomes visible. That’s something to remember the next time I’m stumbling around in the middle of what feels like a dark time in my life. It could very well be my best opportunity to see Him shine.