Psalm Photos - 19 - Origin of Loves
Psalm 19
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, 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 nothing is hid from its heat.
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
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There are two “loves” that came out of this Psalm for me - both back to a single moment, a single place. It was a sunset on a dock at Caye Caulker, Belize in 1993. I had just experienced one of the most life changing periods of my life through my 8 weeks there (including feeling the first leadings of a call to ordained ministry) and we were spending a few days of R&R time at C.K. to wrap up our time. I had a few moments alone on this dock and I was reading my Bible and came to this Psalm and the moment was a place where I saw this Psalm with my own eyes. I saw the “heavens declaring the glory of God” and I was holding the Law / Word in my own hands as I read and watched this beauty around me. And my prayer was that closing verse - Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. I took what I thought was just a fast picture of that sunset and it ended up being a beautiful shot.
I unfortunately cannot find a copy of it any longer, but i remember giving a copy of it to my Dad with this verse printed on it.
This experience led to a love of this Psalm maybe more than any other for me. I continue to go back to this Psalm time and time again and it feeds me richly every time. It also began a love of photography for me. I think this was the first picture I took that really “came out” in a way that stood out when the picture was developed (yes it was a film camera). This shot was the closest I could come to what that original picture was. This shot was a sunset over the inter coastal waters near Corolla, NC a few years ago.
The heavens truly do declare the Glory of God. Amen.