The Journey - Pt. 3

 

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? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1-9 ESV).

 

I’m told that it’s not much of a detour from Route 66 to tour the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The views are spectacular giving way to an incredible appreciation of how majestic the creation really is. Our reading today calls our attention to that truth. That brings me to another essential in this journey of ours. Following the same illustration of a trip across country in the car, wouldn’t it be foolish not to keep our windshield clean? We do that in our lives by not taking the care to notice God around us.

 

I am very aware that it is easier said than done. There are those times when we simply don’t notice the grime of the road that has built up on the glass until the glare of the sun makes it nearly impossible to see the way forward. That “glare” can come from lots of sources. Any difficult circumstance can cause it. Perhaps you’re experiencing one of those today. It may even be on the inside of our “windshield.” Vehicle interiors create the ideal atmosphere for building up a film on the inside of windows. Airborne contaminants, condensation, and dust blend in a closed, hot interior to form a “cloud” that eventually coats the windows. The hotter the weather, the quicker the film builds up. I keep a clean rag in both our vehicles for just such a moment. A quick swipe across the glass and the haze is gone.

 

Let me make the illustration clear. Your experiences in life unintentionally cause dirt and grime to build up, obscuring your view of the majesty of God. The “rag” you ought to carry with you on your journey is prayer. Oh, I’m not talking about stopping everything you’re doing to find a retreat to spend an hour in intense intercession (though that’s OK, too); I’m suggesting you maintain a common relational conversation throughout your day with God. Just talk to Him without embarrassment or apology. He is our Father through the Lord Jesus, but he is also the God who reigns in splendor. That is your gift through grace! Enjoy the view!