Daily Reminders

Psalm 19:1-2 “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.”

Life can be overwhelming. Work can seem to have no end and raising children or managing a home is not for the faint of heart. Living life, dealing with people, and encountering all the obstacles of living in a fallen world can obscure the elements of life that are valuable…the ones that really last.

The Lord has left reminders of what is truly valuable. He gives clues as to what is to come, and He strengthens His people by their ability to see His hand move in a world that seems distant from any form of righteousness, goodness, and love.

Let’s look beyond the circumstances of life and see the reminders that bring hope. If we don’t live with perspective, we can easily become entrapped and lose sight of what is to come.

The Voices of Reminder

The Heavens are present with us everyday. From the inception of man, all have gazed upon the heavenly bodies as they hang in the balance that God placed them. The vastness of space, the intricacy by which the bodies are held together, the position of the earth and the celestial bodies that surround her, there seems to be no limit to the expanse.

Psalm 19:4-6 “Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”

Like a bridegroom coming out of his house to receive his bride, the Lord has placed the Sun in a position to remind us of a much greater reality.

The Bridegroom is Coming

The traditions in ancient Israel were reflected in God’s greater purpose for His people. The bridegroom would go and prepare a house for his bride, often connecting it to his father’s house. When the house was prepared, the bridegroom would return for his bride, the union would be made complete and he would take her to dwell with him in his house.

Isaiah 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

I find it interesting how the Lord compares the rising Sun to the Bridegroom, coming out of His chamber. The metaphor is not to be overlooked but is a reminder for all who await the Lord’s return. As the Sun rises each morning His people are reminded again and again, “I Am coming for you”, “I Am coming to receive you”, “I have prepared the house and I Am going to take you there”.

There is a reminder each morning of a future hope that will never disappoint. Jesus is the Bridegroom and His church is the Bride, He has been preparing a home for His people and He promises to return. The Bride doesn’t wait in darkness nor does the Bride lose sight of what is to come, the reminder each day breaks through the night of struggle to remain steadfast, unwavering, and with patient endurance to be found faithful.

Imputed Honor

The majesty of the Lord is declared in the Heavens. The vast expanse of space reminds us of how great is our God. When we consider His greatness, we can only consider what He has revealed. Our perspective is confined by our ability to compare Him to what we know.

Psalm 8:3-5 “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.”

The Lord revealed to the Psalmist His glory and then He turns His attention to mankind. Not just any form of animal or living creature, but to the human race by which God has imparted glory.

Why is mankind so special?

Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Man is different because he has been formed in the image of God. Because God made people unique, we can also surmise that God has a unique purpose for His people.

Isaiah 42:10-12 “Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it,
the coastlands and their inhabitants.
Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice,
the villages that Kedar inhabits;
let the habitants of Sela sing for joy,
let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory to the LORD,
and declare his praise in the coastlands.”

The new song of the redeemed is the song of salvation. The Lord places reminders of how important His people are to Him. His people receive His love, they partake of His glory, and they await a resurrection that unites them with their Savior.

God’s Purposes

The Word of God goes out across the Earth, beckoning all who would hear…to follow. The Word brings life and hope for all who hear, but it likewise brings death to all who would reject it.

Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

Wrath awaits the sinner. Joy awaits the redeemed.

As we witness the rain and snow falling from the sky, we are reminded that God does not sit idle, watching us live out our lives like a colony of ants. He speaks and waits to see who listens. For the redeemed, the rain brings life, gives cause for plants to spring forth and supplies the necessity of water. For the world, the rain can seem like a curse. Soaking all who try to avoid it, bringing floods and damaging fragile crops.

The Lord cares for His anointed, what the world sees as a curse, God’s people see as a blessing. The loss of one crop reminds them that He will supply another.

Isaiah 55:12-13 “For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

God’s people can look to the mountains and be reminded of God’s glory. The majesty of the snow capped peaks, the rolling hills and gentle valleys, all reminders of God’s majesty and purpose. His beauty is not exclusive to His countenance, but He has glorified Himself in His creation and made known Himself to mankind.

The Response

As God’s people witness His glory, they are reminded that He has revealed these things to them. Without Him, they are just babes and infants, unable to receive the greater glory. Because of Jesus, the redeemed of the Lord can say so…they can declare His majesty!

Psalm 8:1-4 “O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?”

Do you feel as though the world is closing in, where the circumstances of life can seem unbearable and hopeless?

Grasp the reminders that are all around you, look past the stars and see His glory revealed. The reminders are everywhere, you must only possess the ability to see.

One last reminder…..

Jeremiah 31:35-36 “Thus says the LORD,
who gives the sun for light by day
and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
the LORD of hosts is his name:
“If this fixed order departs
from before me, declares the LORD,
then shall the offspring of Israel cease
from being a nation before me forever.”

The reminders we have all around us are declarations that God has ordained. These declarations will not pass away. God’s people have been established by a declaration of God. If He has called you, He will establish you, perfect you, and raise you up. God’s fixed order is a reminder for His people…He does not change, His Word is not rescinded, He is faithful and True.

Give your life to Christ and His perfect nature will be given to you. He will open your eyes to see Him, and He will remind of these things until you stand before Him face to face.