God's Two Voices
OPENING PRAYER:
Dear God, my loving heavenly Father, you are my maker, sustainer, and redeemer. On life’s hectic journey, I find rest in you.
Psalm 19[a]
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[b] 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.
Footnotes
[a] Psalm 19:1 In Hebrew texts 19:1-14 is numbered 19:2-15.
[b] Psalm 19:4 Septuagint, Jerome and Syriac; Hebrew measuring line
Psalm 19
REFLECT:
‘Jesus shall reign where’er the sun does its successive journeys run, his kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more.’ (Isaac Watts, 1674–1748). Praise God that nowhere lies beyond his rule!
I remember the first time I saw a really dark sky, with no light pollution. I was a teenager at my first Christian camp. It was a revelation: where had all these stars come from? I had never seen so many! Spiritually that was a significant week for me. My consciousness of God was reinforced by that experience. More than fifty years later I still remember it clearly.
No doubt David had many similar experiences, with dark skies being the norm (no street lights!). For him, the wonder of the heavens spoke directly of God (v 1). And it wasn’t just the wonder of the stars, it was the rhythm and reliability of the daily rising of the sun traveling across the sky (vs 4b–6). How much do you hear their voice (v 4)?
God’s words fill in the detail of his revelation (vs 7-10), complementing the visual impact of the heavens. Look at the adjectives: ‘perfect’, ‘trustworthy’, ‘right’ and so on. Notice the impact of God’s words: ‘refreshing’, ‘making wise’, ‘giving joy…’ All of this leads us to awareness of our faults and sins (vs 12,13) for sure, but beyond there to our Rock and Redeemer (v 14).
APPLY:
Read the psalm again; creation reveals his glory. How do his words reveal it?
CLOSING PRAYER:
Mighty God, maker of heaven and earth, how amazing you are. I see your magnificence in nature, but I learn of your saving grace in your Word. I love you, Lord.
WORSHIP:
Syndicated via Scripture Union. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.