Heavenly Skies

READ: PSALM 19:1-6; MATTHEW 27:45-54

The sky is one of the most varied and beautiful parts of God’s creation. In the morning you can see soft pinks and yellows amid golden sunlight as the sun rises up. In the afternoon you can see fluffy white clouds sailing. In the first part of the evening there are bold reds, oranges, purples, pinks, and blues while the sun is going down. After the sun has set you can see the moon suspended against a dark blue backdrop, sprinkled with twinkling stars.

Incredible, isn’t it? Psalm 19:1 tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” The word proclaim means to declare publicly, make plain, or affirm. The sky is just one of the many things in creation that show us there is a God. When we look at the sky, we can see that there is a Creator. And when we read His Word, we discover this same Creator is still in control and actively working in our lives. He even became one of us and died for us! He loves us completely, eternally.

The sky helped convince people that Jesus was the Son of God on the day He was crucified for our sins. The Gospel writers record the sky turning dark in the middle of the day (Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44). Then, when Jesus breathed His last, the earth quaked, the rocks split, and even the tombs broke open! When the Roman centurion and the soldiers who were guarding Jesus’s cross saw all this, they exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).

So the next time you see a sunset, a sunrise, or a sky full of stars, think of our Creator. Because that’s who they’re trying to tell you about. • Morgan A. Mitchell

• What is your favorite kind of sky? Have you ever thought about the fact that the same God who created the sky also created you—and He loves you so much that He was willing to die a horrible death on the cross for you? Consider taking a moment to ponder this and praise Him for His unfathomable power, beauty, and mercy.

• Jesus is both fully human and fully God—all things were made through Him, and when He walked on earth, creation recognized Him as the Creator. He rose from the dead, and He promised to return one day and renew the heavens and the earth. Hallelujah! If you want to dig deeper, read Luke 8:22-25; 19:40; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17; Revelation 21:1-5.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV)