“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.” Psalm 19:1-3
Glints of light beckoned outside, late, in the deep dark. Against solid black sparkled diamonds of strewn stars, bright white Jupiter like a hole punch, and a crisp white sliver of moon. They tilted my neck back and held it there for long moments, their unbounded habitation declaring God’s glory.
Early morning showcases another portion of that black blanket of sky, Orion standing guard before ushering in a new day. But when ink turns from black to faintest violet, to periwinkle, fading to palest cerulean, the heavenly lights go invisible. Still there, they remain suspended in splendor, yet invisible to eyes now accustomed to different light.
And so it is with our immortal God. Ever near, ever encircling, encompassing our known universe to its infinite edges, He is invisible, but at once present, often palpable. He who knows no limits or end makes His home in transient man, the eternal with the temporal, the unseen with flesh and blood.
“You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me…
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,’
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.” Psalm 139:5,7-12
We learn to know Him in His daily faithfulness, to trust Him in the quickening of His Spirit in us to convict, console, and guide. By His unseen power controlling the winds, upholding stars in space, and holding oceans to their boundaries, we grow to believe and appropriate His power for our thoughts and work, and reckon His resurrection victory our own. By His gravity, order, and regularity of orbits and tides and seasons, we can confidently practice and maintain disciplines. (Job 38:4-12; Psalm 104:5-9, Proverbs 8:27-31)
In what areas of our lives- relationships, ministry, scholarship, could we know and apply His ways better, and trust Him more? If He seems distant, is it we who have ignored His promptings, His grace shed into our circumstances, His leading hand, His clear word? “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Are we putting His gift of faith into consistent practice as we seek His guidance, go about our duties, and interact with others?
And when others observe our lives, day after day, what do they see of God’s immortality and invincibility? How clearly do I reflect and represent Him?
Amazing immutable God, may all my living make You visible and irresistible to all I meet.
As the rain and snow 