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.
How often have you been asked or indeed asked yourself ‘what about those who have never heard?’ It is a question that should deeply concern us all and in the goodness of God he has provided an answer so that we do not need to be anxious.
The first part of the answer is here in the opening verses of this Psalm – in a nutshell God can be seen in his creation. But the psalmist doesn’t just leave it there for it is possible to look at the magnificence of the heavens and not see God as tragically many do. So he writes of this magnificent universe in which we live having the power to impact all people without exception. He drives this home as he describes creation as ‘speaking to us’; ‘giving us knowledge’; being multi-lingual and extending ‘to the ends of the world’.
Now if we are believers we know and understand that we did not come to that position by seeing God in his universe magnificent as that sight is, but by coming to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ and through him being made joint heirs of all that God is through the forgiveness of sins.
We might then say that the psalmist did not go far enough. But of course he lived before Christ and could only see through a glass darkly, what was to come. However when we turn to the New Testament we read these words:
‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that men are without excuse.’ Romans 1.20
That is serious stuff for as the preceding verses tell us ‘The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who supress the truth by their wickedness since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain. vs. 18-19.
It is a sobering thought that we are without excuse! We are generally pretty good at making excuses but that option is removed from us as we give account to God as to what we have done with the ‘voice that goes out into all the earth’.
If we have come to the cross we have no need to make excuse for we have, by the grace of God, responded to that voice. If this is the case then we must be in the business of calling people listen and respond to that universal voice.
If not then we need to listen and act and on that gracious revelation ourselves before it is too late.
As I prepared to post this Blog this morning a further scripture came strongly to mind which turned my focus again to the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
John 1.1-5