The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts 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; they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19 (NASB)
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts 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; they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19 (NASB)
Have you ever doubted the existence of God? Have you ever experienced His silence? Have you ever cried out, “Where are you, God, and why is this happening to me?” Most of us can probably answer one if not all of those questions with a resounding “YES!” Yet God’s answer resounds daily!
Our Bible study group meets regularly every Wednesday before school. We’ve been meeting for six years. We enjoy some great conversations, but one Wednesday morning in particular, God’s Word blessed us with power. As we finished our lesson, someone yelled, “Come and look out the window!” As we all congregated around the window, we stared at a most extraordinary sight. Suspended in the heavens over the subdivision across the road was a double rainbow. What a breathtaking sight! It felt as though God spoke to us while creation confirmed His existence, saying “Well done, good and faithful servants!” Matthew 25:21, 23 (NKJV).
Just recently our MP group met after school, beginning our discussion with Isaiah 6. Isaiah saw the glory of God in the temple, overwhelmed by his own sin. God took away his sin and sent him out as a prophet to the Israelites. We realized that we can’t make a difference in the world or the church unless our own temple, our bodies where God dwells once Christ enters our hearts, is cleaned-up and forgiven. As we continued our Bible study, the power of God filled the room and tears flowed as we felt His firm, yet loving conviction, not condemnation. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NASB) We left there full of God’s glory and ready for mission. God’s Word and the stirring in our hearts confirmed that His presence sat with us while we drew closer to Him.
During the time of my daughter’s years as a prodigal, my daddy died. Overcome with grief, I wondered why all that pain invaded my life. I didn’t receive an answer but I knew in my heart that Jesus held me close because I felt His healing salve cover my wounds. Words of love and grace from friends confirmed His presence in my life.
God’s existence is celebrated every day in creation. All around the earth creation glorifies our supreme God. The sun consistently rises each day, even when we can not see it. What a wonderful reminder of Jesus Christ, the Son, who is always with us, who says in Hebrews 13:5b (NKJV), “I will never leave you nor forsake you. God also said it to Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8 (NKJV). Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you....And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed. All these words are spoken by our faithful God who is always with us! Below are my words to Him when He confirmed His presence to me in the midst of my pain.
The Son Still Shines
Here on earth it’s dark and dreary.
Clouds are looming and I am weary.
The rain comes down alongside my tears,
But I know the Son is still shining!
Above the clouds, from the view in a plane,
Looking around, there is no rain.
The heavens shine brightly all around,
Because the Son is still shining!
As days go by, darkness will loom.
Its power will pull to the place of gloom.
Each day gives way to a multitude of trials,
But I know the Son is still shining!
Thanks to Jesus who died on the cross,
And arose to glory! Let’s lift off the dross.
Hope abounds in heaven and on earth,
Because the SON is still shining!
DDC Oct. ‘05
Psalm 19 gives us a perfect picture of God’s revelation in creation as well as His Word. It causes us to remember the times that we’ve stared at a sunrise or gazed at a full moon. Nothing is left to speculation; creation screams the existence of God. His Word converts our souls, forgives our sins, gives us wisdom, enlightens our minds, disciplines our wrongs, fills our hearts with joy, and continually reminds us of our faithful, loving God. It’s sweeter than honey, we are told. It causes us to contemplate our lives, desiring to be righteous as God is righteous. May we pray together every day the words of David 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. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!