Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. I am a big fan of the Bible. I have found it to be the source of all I believe and teach. When I am weary and in need of comfort, I turn to the words of this book, any part of it, and I find rest for my soul. And David seems to have found much the same things in the words of the LORD. He begins this Psalm with praise of God and His handiwork. The beauty of this earth and sky declare the glory of God. Whether it is a clear day with a blue sky or a blustery afternoon with wind and clouds, you can look and see the handiwork of God. And the Son reminds us of the faithfulness of God when it arrives anew every morning, coming out of its chamber like the bridegroom. He then talks about the words of God in verses seven through ten. The Bible uses many words to describe the things God tells us. Here, David calls them laws, testimonies, precepts, commandments, fear, and rules. When normally associate laws with things we have to do whereas testimonies seem to bring up ideas of life stories. Precepts and commandments take us back to the idea of things we have to do, things that must be obeyed. Most people don't like to think about what they have to do, they enjoy rather thinking about what they want to do. David finishes his list with fear and rules. Fear, in the Bible, refers to the awe that a person has in the presence of a formidable other. In this case God, so much bigger and more powerful, one needs to be in awe of Him. What does David say about the words of God? He uses words like perfect, sure, right pure, clean, true, and righteous altogether. And then he lists a few qualities that come to our lives when we listen to these words. The words of God revive the soul, make the simple wise, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, and cause the heart to last forever. Then he describes the words of God in comparison to gold and honey. It is better to have your life filled with the words and teachings of God than to have an untold amount of gold or your taste buds coated with the sweetness of fresh honey. There have been so many times in my life that I thought I could revive my soul by taking a long vacation or improve my wisdom with a little more study. I did not realize all I needed was a little more time with my creator and listening to the words of the book He has provided for us. I have sought to find joy in the pleasures of this life and the things that make my eyes dance with delight, and all the time I could have just turned to the Bible and found what I was looking for. I have to tell you; I have never been as happy and comforted and calmed as I am when I sit back and take the time to read and meditate on the words of God. To read a few verses and think about what God might be telling me through these words even though they were written so many years ago. David ends the Psalm with the idea that the words of God warn me if I follow the advice in this Book, I will have great reward. When I do not heed the advice these words offer, my life becomes more of a struggle. Regularly reading and paying attention to the ideas of the Bible keep me from making choices that cause God disappointment. It is in following the word of God and keeping His commands that my life is full of abundance even in the midst of the difficulties of life. Can you join with me in praying David's words in verse 14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."
- Pastor Edd | 
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