Our Declaration

By Zelphia Peterson

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim 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 heavens declare the glory of God

The earth shouts the sound of his praise

All creation proclaims him, together adores him

And sings of his marvelous ways

The fish of the ocean, they praise him on high

With the birds and the beasts of the land

The rocks and the mountains in splendor proclaim him

All tell of the work of his hand

The breath of the wind, it whispers his name

The thunder rings trumpets of grace

Raindrops echo his song to the ends of the earth

The waves murmur of his embrace

The daylight reflects him in splendor and glory

Night displays all his wisdom unheard

The voiceless are speaking, with their voices resounding

Revealing his love without words

How great is our God then, who made all the world?

Shall we ever stop praising his name?

Let us speak of his love and make known all his mercy

And forever say more of the same

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Zelphia Peterson is twenty years old and a native of the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. Currently she lives with her parents and her sister as she pursues her master’s degree in Global Public Health. Ever since she wrote her first poem at a costume party in first grade, Zelphia has remained fascinated by wordplay in poetry. For her, perfection is when rhyme, rhythm, and aesthetic sound serve the meaning behind the poetry. She draws much of her inspiration from scripture and the natural wonders of creation, as well as human experience in general. In her free time, Zelphia enjoys making music in any form, reading voraciously, painting, archery, camping and backpacking with her family, chatting with her sister, and serving her church. She hopes to someday serve the Lord in another country by using her training as a public health worker.