“The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.” – Psalm 97:6

Victor Glover, a Christian astronaut who has been working for NASA for decades, was recently asked about how working in space had affected his Christian faith.  

He used a phenomenon called the ‘Overview Effect’ to explain how his worldview completely changed after watching the Earth floating in space like a ball – with no sense of national borders or boundaries or coastlines or distance.

 “I felt really small and insignificant,” he said. 

“It was profound to me. It made me really think about our planet and how we take care of it, and our people — how we take care of each other.”

Poetically, the notion of ‘the heavens’ metaphorically describes the grandeur and majesty of the universe.

Yet, the observable universe is just a part of the entire universe – comprising of galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and superclusters.

Indeed, scientists say that the true size of the entire universe is unknown because the technology to observe beyond the observable limits remains nonexistent.

By stating that the “heavens declare His righteousness,” what the poet means is that the entire universe comprising the observable natural or the physical world, serves as a testament to the righteousness and moral perfection of God.

The splendor, majesty, exquisiteness, magnificence, harmony, and complexity of the universe are perceived as reflections of divine justice, integrity and reliability.

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

That was the idea that the apostle Paul portrayed in Romans 1:20, when he wrote that ever since the creation of the world, God’s eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been seen and understood through the things that God made.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands,” said David in Psalm 19:1.

Biblically, the term ‘the peoples’ refers to the nations of the world.

In Habakkuk 2:14, the Bible says; “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”

God made man in His image so as to display His glory – to fill the whole earth with His glory.

Of course, Adam lost it when he disobeyed God.

However, the prophecy says God’s original purpose would be fulfilled through Christ and the Gospel being proclaimed by the saints.

God’s plan of redemption would be successful in bringing people to faith in Christ in every people group worldwide and then every nation on the planet would have people who acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour.

That is why Psalm 89:5 says; “The heavens praise Your wonders, O LORD -Your faithfulness as well – in the assembly of the holy ones [saints].”

Jesus said; “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

This implies having a positive influence on the community through the good deeds that Christians should exhibit in their daily lives in their various spheres of influence – reflecting moral values, compassion, sound judgment, and uprightness – hence leading others to praise and honor God.

Paul stressed that point to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 6:20 where he admonished the saints to “glorify God in their bodies” – using their physical existence —through actions, health, and behavior—in a manner that honors and reflects God’s moral virtues and character.