We invite you to take a peek inside our weekly Light for the Way devotional series provided for staff.
By Pastor Chris Wheatley, Senior Director of Pastoral Care Services
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world. — Psalm 19:1-4, NIV
The Word of God is foundational to Christianity. In the beginning, God speaks the universe into creation. Then generation after generation, "the Word of the Lord" is delivered through his prophets. And ultimately, we look forward to the world to come, when God’s Word will be "inscribed upon our hearts" as the Prophet Jeremiah says, thus ending sin and confusion forever.
But the phrase can also be misleading, because in the Bible the ‘word’ of God is not always communicated by speech or in text. The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus is the Word made flesh. Psalm 19 tells us, paradoxically, that the heavens proclaim their ‘words’ about God to the ends of the earth, using no actual words to do so.
What would it be like to learn about God by looking at the world around us? To hear the voice that "goes out into all the earth," the "words to the ends of the world"?
Take a moment, look outside if you can, and ask yourself, what can you tell about the Maker of the natural world?
I see a God that is larger than I can possibly understand. The skies that stretch past our ability to see or measure speak of a God who will always be bigger than what I think is important, and who has a perspective that includes more than I am able to.
I see a God of both constancy and change. The same God who made the winter brings the springtime. In the same way, the seasons of our lives are all intended for a purpose, and they play out in life after life across the generations. Wherever we are in the journey, God finds it valuable enough to experience alongside us, again and again.
And right now, I see a God of light. While God is present in the silent, holy nights, the springtime reminds me that God continues to bring clarity and illumination to every part of our lives, to walk with us into understanding, growth and wholeness.
Let us continue to walk in the word of God, spoken and unspoken, as we serve the Kingdom.
Rev. Chris Wheatley serves PHS as Senior Director of Pastoral Care Services. He is an ordained Lutheran pastor and has served in hospice, eldercare, hospital, HIV/AIDS and congregational settings. He and his wife Nicole are perpetually outnumbered by cats and Dobermans.
The Light for the Way series provides staff with an examination of a biblical reading to deepen our focus on scripture. Thank you for engaging with this series as we seek wisdom through prayer and reflection as a Christian Ministry.
Find more in the Light for the Way series:
Witnessing God's faithfulness and the early signs of a 'new normal'
Finding hope: a journey into 'an unfinished story'
Loving what you do and enduring with confidence
Introducing Light for the Way, a new devotional series
In addition to Light for the Way, you can find reflections, devotions, music and other resources on the Pastoral Care website.