"The heavens declare the glory of God.
The expanse shows his handiwork...
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer. "
-Psalm 19 : 1, 14
Although all scripture is God-breathed and useful for the teaching, correcting, and training of believers (2 Timothy 3:16-17) every so often I encounter a scripture in my daily reading that leaves me especially awestruck by it’s wisdom and convicted by it’s truth. Despite being only 14 verses long, Psalm 19 paints an incredible picture of God’s glory and His authority over all things.
David begins the Psalm by describing how the Lord reveals himself through His creation. The sky and universe above bear witness to the greatness of God. (verses 1-2, 5-6) Their testimony is so compelling there is no language to which it does not translate and no place it does not reach. (v. 3 & 4) The message our natural world professes about the creator of all things is so apparent and enduring that mankind is left without excuse. (Romans 1:20 & 21)
David then points out creation is not the only means by which God reveals Himself to us. His glory is further demonstrated through His Word; namely His law, testimony, precepts, commandment, fear, and judgements. (v. 7 - 9) By submitting ourselves to the authority of God we can fully trust that His law is complete, His testimony reliable, and His precepts morally upright. We can also trust that His commandments will not lead us astray, nor will fear of / reverence for Him fade. Finally, we can trust His judgement is completely free of falsehood and corruption. In short, from these seven principles of His Word we see God is not only the ultimate authority, but the only One worthy of such authority.
In verses 10 and 11 we are told there is nothing in this world we can possess or experience more valuable than God’s Word. This is because through it we are free from sin’s bondage and the separation it causes between us and the Father. (John 1:1-5, John 14:6) After taking a moment to contemplate all of this, I feel truly humbled. It’s the same posture of humility with which David approaches the Lord at the end of the Psalm, making the final verses all the more impactful. Like David, the juxtaposition of God’s perfection and man’s imperfection should call us to repentance. (v. 12 & 13) Following further study and reflection on this Psalm, it has become my daily prayer: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable” in the sight of my Lord and redeemer. (v. 14) And I pray the same thing over you, dear friends.
Thank you for reading! I hope revisiting this short devotion from the Fall 2023 Newsletter encouraged you today. I pray the words of your mouth and meditation of your heart be pleasing to the Lord as you submit yourself to His authority and bear witness to His glory.