- Chad Werkhoven
Psalm 19 - The Sky Is Talking
God's glory is proclaimed everywhere you look, but true refreshment comes only from His Word.
Read / Listen
Read Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 113
Q. What is God’s will for you
in the tenth commandment?
A. That not even the slightest
thought or desire
contrary to any one
of God’s commandments
should ever arise in my heart.
Rather, with all my heart
I should always hate sin
and take pleasure in
whatever is right.
Summary
The opening stanza of Psalm 19 is both beautiful and familiar. We're surrounded by beauty: the fertile Great Plains give way to rugged mountains which fall off into deep blue sea. Plants and animals of all types abound everywhere we look, and we can peer both into the microscopic world surrounding us, as well as galaxies billions of miles away. All of this beauty has a singular purpose: to declare the glory of God and proclaim the work of His hands.
This is why Christians have always championed education and exploration to get to know God better. But if you not only want to know God as much as possible, but also experience the true peace and refreshment that such knowledge brings, focus your attention on the second stanza of Psalm 19 (v7-9). Make it your goal to know God's law, statutes, precepts, commands and decrees. In simpler terms, work hard to learn and live in God's Word.
The third stanza (v10-13) explains the value of God's Word: it is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. It warns you of the danger of sin and points you to great reward.
Dig Deeper
Your sinful nature, which we often refer to as Sarx (a nickname based of the Greek word the Bible uses to describe your old nature), is constantly battling you, trying to pull you away from God's Word by whispering temptations in your ear, so to speak. One of Sarx' most effective tools is getting you to covet: to have even the slightest thoughts or desires contrary to any one of God's commandments. Just a tiny bit of coveting quickly can explode into massively sinful urges and even actions.
To battle Sarx, keep doing what you're doing right now: reading God's Word and digging deeper into it every day. As you're strengthened in God's law, statutes, precepts, commands and decrees, you'll be better equipped to resist sin and join all nature in declaring the glory of God and proclaiming the work of His hands.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the meditations of your heart may be pleasing in God's sight;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 11
