Thursday, September 5, 2013

Blogging the Bible: Psalm 19



                I know I missed last week and Psalm 18, so here is a brief synopsis.  Psalm 18 is a song of gratitude after the Lord had delivered David from his enemies.  David thanks the Lord for reaching down and saving him; for giving him the strength to overcome his enemies.  I find myself still in the midst of the struggle so this psalm doesn’t sit well right now, but it is a good reminder to express gratitude when we do come through our trials.
                This week is Psalm 19 and this psalm has some great passages that most of us are probably familiar with.  “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).  The opening line here clearly states that all of creation reveals God.  Nature is so complex that there has to be a creator; it didn’t just happen by some cosmic accident.  That’s not to say that some version of the big bang didn’t happen, just that it didn’t happen by accident.  If there was a big bang, God caused it.
                Not only does creation reveal the greatness of God, but his Word also reveals God’s true nature.  Verses 7-10 create a wonderful picture of the benefits of God’s Word.
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
God word revives us and gives us joy.  It makes us wise and lasts forever.  It’s more precious than the purest gold and sweeter than the sweetest honey.  It’s perfect.  Why would we not follow God’s word?  The Bible provides us with the keys to living a joy filled life in line with God’s commands and at the end there is heaven.
                David ends this psalm with a prayer that many a pastor uses at the beginning of the sermon.  “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).  A simple request, but still an important one.  God knows all our thoughts and David’s request is that God would find them pleasing.  As we live each day, we should take time to think about how God views our thoughts and actions.  How often do our thoughts stray into areas where we know they shouldn’t?  How often do we say or do something hurtful?  How different would we live if we kept this verse at the forefront of our thoughts and deeds each day?

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