“The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD,
my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19, NKJV).
This is a beloved Psalm, familiar to many. Last Sunday, David led a song that set the middle
section to music, and it has been on my mind all week. The Psalm has three basic parts,
which we can describe as God’s glory in creation, God’s power in His Word, and our response to Him of reverence and worship.
The artist’s talent is displayed in what is created—a sculpture, a painting, a piece of music, whatever form it takes. God’s genius and power are displayed in His creation,bringing glory to Him. Though that creation has no words, it still speaks to all people everywhere. It was true in David’s day when little was known about the sun. It is even more true in our day, where some knowledge has been gained. Each passing year reveals more and more complexity and design features.
The God Who creates also speaks to His children, and His Word is as powerful as beautiful. It converts the soul, brings wisdom, purifies the heart, brings light, and shows what is right and righteous. It is the most valuable thing that can be obtained in this world. There were times when the Word of God was scarce; we live in a time when it is easy to come by. Let us not lose sight of its value, even though it may be obtained for free.
Which brings us to the third part. Our response should be one of contrition, reverence, and need. We are contrite before this great God; we hold Him in reverence and worship Him. And we seek correction from Him, to root out and dig up those secret sins, to bring them out in the light that we might have victory over them. Because the nearness of God is our good; the correction of God is our good; and in keeping His Word, there is great reward indeed.
—John Ostic
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