Week 13: Midlife revelation

Devotional readings focused on Psalm 19 and 104 for the fourth week of March.

Meditation

Skip to the Bible readings and reflection questions

When I was small, my grandmother took me into the field next to her house to look for new spring dandelions. She showed me how to distinguish the tender emerging leaves and flower buds from the older, tougher leaves. We gathered a bowl full together. Then, at lunch time Grandma mixed together cream, sugar, and apple cider vinegar to dress the greens and tiny buds. I still remember that salad some 50 years later.

What made that experience so memorable? I think it was my amazement at being able to eat out of the neighbor's pasture. Grandma and I found food for the taking, sown by the hand of God for our delight and nourishment!

One of my delights since then has been either hand-picking the fruits of the earth at various farms or growing some of them myself. For a few years when we had a large garden, my summer morning ritual was to stumble outside in my pajamas to water the plants with one hand and to eat off the vines with the other from a daily provision of freshy ripened vegetables--more abundance from the hand of God.

In this season of my life, no garden space exists for me, but I can still feast daily on the provisions of God through His Word. Our psalms and other readings this week proclaim the beauty and necessity of both God's natural revelation, the created world, and His special revelation, the wrtten Word found in the Bible. Both bring us joy and peace, and both point us to the One who wants to be known by us.

Psalm 19 focuses equally on the message spoken by the heavens and the message spoken by the scriptures. David declares that the heavens speak wordlessly but unmistakably of the glory of God:

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

(Psalm 19:1, NIV)

This message is so clearly obvious that later in Romans 1, Paul will assert that nature alone is enough to hold humans accountable for their relationship to God . . .

. . . since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

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 people are without excuse.

(Romans 1:19-20, NIV)

But God is not cruel and unreasonable. Not only does He declare His glory in nature, but he also gives us His Word to guide us into fellowship with Himself:

The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and all of them are righteous.

(Psalm 19:7-9, NIV)

What a gift! Yet, I must ask myself: in this season of life, how often do I accept this gift of God's revelation of Himself to me? Probably not as often as I need too.

David himself encourages us to meet with God regularly. He begins Psalm 19 with a description of the sun, the source of light and energy for our world and everything in it. The sun is a daily endowment from God above: you can set your clock by it! Every day it faithfully rises and sets, providing the earth with the power to be fruitful. David's correlation of sun with scripture in Psalm 19 is clear in its implications: the Word of God is a provision to take pleasure in daily.

Frankly, I need to do better at taking time for God's revelation, both through nature and word. In seasons of transition like midlife, we need even more to lean into who God is revealing Himself to be. That is the only way we find clarity of purpose, a renewed sense of strength, and the peace that God promises for the inevitable challenges of living.

And just maybe, our renewed sense of connection to God and His creation might give us the opportunity to spark wonder in the heart of some small grandchild while we pick wildflowers with her in a field.

Readings and Reflection Questions

Monday's reading: Psalm 19

Reflection Questions: What benefits of reading God's Word does David mention in this Psalm? How does the physical action of the sun in providing light and energy mirror the spiritual action of God's Word? Read verse 14 again: Why do you suppose David ended with this prayer?

Tuesday's reading: Philippians 2:12-16

Reflection Questions: This passage by Paul uses a nature metaphor. What does Paul say we should be like? What specific action gives us this quality? According to verse 16, what should we hold onto to help us develop this quality?

Wednesday's reading: Isaiah 40:3-14

Reflection Questions: This passage also uses metaphors to put natural revelation and biblical revelation into perspective. How do the two compare? Verses 12-14 ask the reader five questions. What point is God making in asking these questions?

Thursday's reading: Job 38-39

Reflection Questions: In answer to Job's question about why he was experiencing such extreme suffering, God appeared and questioned Job. Which scientific subjects did God question Job on in chapter 38? Which twelve animals did God question Job about in chapter 39? Why do you think God went into such detailed descriptions and questions with Job?

Friday's reading: Job 40-42:6

Reflection Questions: In chapters 40 and 41, God questions Job on two unconquerable animals: the behemoth and the leviathan. In Job's culture, these two animals represented chaos and evil. Why do you suppose God focused on these two animals? What is God's message regarding man's power against evil? What is Job's final statement to God in chapter 42? Why was God's use of natural revelation so effective in Job 38-41?

Weekend reading: Psalm 104

Reflection Questions: In this psalm, David describes the harmony of God's creation--how it all works together. Take a moment to note or underline the descriptions that resonate with your own experiences of nature, then spend some time reflecting on the wonders of creation. Note David's response to God's creative genius in verses 33-35. Do you notice a similarity to Psalm 19?