The Sounds of Silence…to the glory of God!
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 19:1-4
I don’t know about you ladies, but when life’s distracting noises bombard my senses I best regain my equilibrium in the wonders of creation. There, the voices that declare God’s glory ring loud and clear.
My grandmother lived in a sleepy little resort town on Lake Huron. There was no better lullaby than waves lapping on the shore, no more soothing sunrise wakeup call to linger awhile with God. Funny how some sounds are that calming, that meditative.
On the other hand the 110dB* roar of a waterfall shouts of the absolute power of the Almighty. Think of Niagara: deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me (Psalm 42:7). I have stood in your spray Niagara, looked into your tumbling foam, and caught a glimpse of God’s might. Then too I have seen your energy encased in the deep freeze of winter and yet you tumble down, under the incidental ice bridges, colored by a rainbow or two—to glorify my Lord.
Of all the sunrises and sunsets and starlit skies I have enjoyed, the most spectacular was the northern lights in Saskatchewan one cold February evening. As we drove through the prairies, the stubble in the fields, dusted with fresh snow, suddenly glittered gold. Fingers of green and gold reached down from the heavens, dancing every which way. We had to stop the car, get out, and praise the Creator of awesomeness.
And how about the hummingbird and me, that early summer morning I sat on the porch in the mountains reading about You, God? He flew in close, so close I could hear the hum of his wings, then retreated as quickly. I supposed it was the apricot-colored t-shirt I was wearing, not too dissimilar in color from the feeder on the balcony above. Or was it a gift to me, from You, my God?
A tramp through the woods, even a walk out into the yard to refocus—the sounds of the world God spoke into being shout of the One who made them, all to His glory.
Nancy P
*Decibel: a typical rock concert is 115dB.
