I watched the sun rise this morning. It was beautiful. It’s hard to notice any kind of beauty at 6:20 in the morning, but I did.
Just a few hours—I thought to myself—and beaches throughout the world would be littered with people soaking up rays. Pools would be surrounded by vacationers fighting over the lounge chairs in direct sunlight. Millions and millions of sun worshipers.
Of course, they don’t really worship the sun. They’re just trying to get a tan. It may result in skin cancer, but it’s not necessarily false worship. Not like the ancient Egyptians who literally worshiped the sun god, Re.
I wondered something. As all those sun worshipers lie there, they see the sun. They feel the sun. But, do they hear the sun?
The sun is so bright, you can’t miss it. We have to buy “shades” to keep the sun’s brightness from harming our retinas. Anyone who can see can see the sun. The sun is so hot, you can only stand it for so long. We have to cool off in the pool. Seek out some shade. Retreat to air conditioning. Anyone who can feel can feel the sun.
But the sun is also very loud.
I’m not talking about solar flares or solar wind. It’s true that the sun makes so much noise, it would deafen all of us if we weren’t protected by our atmosphere. No, I’m talking about a sermon. A message the sun preaches every day. In every country. In every language. And it’s not just the sun. The moon and stars and space preach the same message.
“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)
The “heavens” includes everything we see in the sky—sun, moon, stars, comets, space etc. “Skies” is used here as a synonym for “heavens”. Everyone with working eyes has seen the “heavens” and the “skies.” This psalm tells us we’ve also heard “their voice.” All of us.
What do the heavens declare? The glory of God! What do the skies proclaim? The work of His hands! The obvious design of the universe around us is knowledge on display. It is evidence of the existence and power of God. Psalm 19 goes on to describe the sun:
“In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.” (Psalm 19:4b-6)
It’s like Exhibit A. It’s like a bridegroom or a champion—proud and on display. You can’t miss it! It’s 93 million miles away, but it couldn’t hide if it tried. Even behind the darkest clouds, the sun makes its presence seen and felt. When it shows up, everything looks different. When it shows up, its presence communicates the wisdom of its Creator. Every time the sun comes up, it preaches the obvious: There is a God! He is amazing and powerful. He made the sun and put it in the sky!
A lot of people—maybe most—would disagree. “It’s not saying anything,” they would say. “All I see is a big ball of fire. I don’t hear anything.”
But they’re ignoring the obvious!
What would it take? Would people believe if God drew a smiley face on the sun? Would they acknowledge the Creator if He arranged the stars to spell out the text of Psalm 19? Would people listen if God wound up the planets and they began literally singing His praises?
Probably not.
They might be amazed at first. Maybe some would be convinced. Most would enjoy the spectacles for a few days or weeks or months, then go right back to doubting the existence of God. “My mind is playing tricks on me,” they’d say. “It must be aliens!”
As you play in the sun this summer—swimming, water skiing, soaking up some rays—don’t ignore the obvious. Don’t forget that looking at the sun is a very bad idea. And don’t forget to wear sun screen when you feel the heat of the sun.
But don’t forget to listen, too.
Stop for a little bit and listen for the voice of the sun declaring the glory of God. Then you do the same. A little sun worship.
Don’t worship the sun. Worship the Sun-Maker.
