The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1, ESV)
I keep telling myself there must be something I can say about Dustin Johnson this week. The man’s play is starting to surpass some of the greatest stretches we’ve ever seen in the game. Surely I can pin this down into so many words.
You may not know how to put your thanks into proper words. Don’t let that stop you.Maybe that’s the problem. We’re such a loud culture that we’ve grown accustomed to always having words for the occasion, whatever it is. Sometimes we would do much better to simply stand back and gaze. Indeed, it is this kind of deep appreciation that can cause us to say, “There are no words to describe….” Perhaps this is one of those times when I should be satisfied with speechlessness.
If I can’t come up with something fitting, perhaps I should say, “Just watch the man hit the ball. You’ll see.”
In my mind, this is what the psalmist, David, was doing when he turned over the declaration of God’s glory to the heavens, the proclamation of God’s work to the skies. He piled on the anthropomorphisms and metaphors, hoping this would come close enough to the truth:
– The heavens speaking in every language, carrying knowledge to every corner of the earth
– The sun like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, like a champion ready to race
– The ordinances of God, more precious than gold and sweeter than honey
From David’s perspective it was still a worthwhile endeavor to try to put indescribable things into words, even though he must have known how far short he was falling. For one, it made him more completely aware of his humanity. He could only go as far as his brain and his tongue would allow.
And so he closed with this: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14, NIV). He said, “God, this is the best I’ve got, but you can make it good enough.”
Your praise may be stilted today. You may not know how to put your thanks into proper words. Don’t let that stop you. Call what you see. Say it as best you can. And ask the Lord to receive your offering unto his pleasure. Then go back to gazing on his wonders, preparing to praise him all the more beautifully tomorrow.
—
Jeff Hopper
March 28, 2017
Copyright 2017 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.