Too Busy for God

The sky displays the glory of God for those who long to see it. Those who don’t know God reject the testimony to God’s power and greatness; they have no choice but to suppress God’s truth. But Christians have no such restriction. We can freely gaze at the amazing  power of God in the sky each day, appreciating its awesome display. But most of us are too busy to take much notice of the daily display of the glory of God. When we’re on vacation, we are more likely to notice the work of God above us if we are in some scenic spot. But what about Monday morning? What about today? Moms, Dads, kids, teenagers—all of us will be encouraged if we will just look at the power of God on display above us.

Yesterday, my wife and I drove to Duke University for her biweekly treatment for brain cancer. As we left the house we saw passing cloudbanks from the remnants of tropical storm Lee. Our drive is about four hours long, and our path followed Lee as the storm moved northeastward. What we saw was a combination of low, fast-moving dark clouds, heavy with rain, and large billowing clouds that stretched across the sky for miles. Both Ruth and I were astounded at the beauty of the scene above—and mindful of the great power that could be unleashed from those storm clouds.

As we made our way towards Duke, the clouds began to descend towards the interstate ahead. And then we were enveloped in a heavy torrent of tropical rain, not just once, but three times. Traffic slowed to a crawl as visibility and traction diminished. And then we were past the bands of wind and rain, driving on dry pavement as if nothing was out of the ordinary. But the clouds were still hanging above us as reminders that even more severe weather could occur at any time. We made it to Duke just as the rains were starting again. While we were indoors, a tornado passed within a mile of our location.

The skies had again cleared as we left on the return trip. There were a few more bands of rain and then a setting sun as we drew near home. (See image below)

This day and every day God declares his majesty in the skies. Psalm 19:1 tells us this is so:

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

You may not always have the time to look at the skies as Ruth and I did yesterday, but you can always look outside and quickly see how God is at work. The skies tell us that God is powerful, that he awesome, that he is dangerous, that he can display great beauty or bring great destruction from the same cloud, and that he can bring soft rains or raging torrents as he pleases. The skies remind us of the power of Jesus Christ, the Lord of the wind and waves. And we know that this same God does all things for the good of those who love him.

Parents, life is busy. So busy, in fact, that we tend to forget that serving God is what matters in life. Your God is not bound by human limitations. It is always appropriate, even essential, to be in awe of God and his commands as we live each day. The skies above are one means God has provided to remind us of what a great God he is. He has not left himself without a daily testimony of his greatness. The skies do not have to be as dramatic as they were yesterday in order to declare his glory. Even on a day when the sky is clear, God’s work is proclaimed. The clear sky speaks of peace, just as the stormy one speaks of power. When you believe you are alone, look at the skies; they declare the glory of God! The heavens declare that you can never be too busy for God.