Read: Psalm 19
Read: Matthew 6:16-34
One of my favorite things to do is go camping. There are several aspects that are particularly enjoyable for me. First, I love to be in nature and just appreciate all of the wonder of God’s creation. Secondly, it’s important to just stop and look around every once in a while and appreciate the artistry of God’s design. It’s easy to drive past beautiful scenery on my way to work and ignore the obvious declaration of God’s glory. Third, I need to slow down. I like the time it takes to cook a meal over a log fire. It’s the change of pace that allows me to focus on the finer details of life. Fourth, I can get away from technology. I think we could all benefit from something as simple as turning our phones off and going for a long walk without any distractions.
Psalm 19 has always been one of my favorite Psalms because it gives such a beautiful picture of three different experiences in how God speaks to us, and what we can do to get the most benefit of each.
The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
First, God speaks to us through creation. Notice how this describes the heavens. If you look up into the sky, you will see a world still untouched by the corrupting power of human intervention. But there’s something more interesting than the mysteries of deep space. In the entire universe, this planet is the only inhabitable rock orbiting the sun. God, the creator of the universe, designed a perfect system that could sustain life. This quiet voice of God has always been there, testifying that there must be a designer behind all of this complexity.
I love the description of the sun here. It gives us a perfect description of how our lives were meant to be lived, with daylight to work and darkness to rest. It is a pattern to how our spiritual lives must labor for righteousness but rest in God’s grace. And, of course, God’s mercies are new every morning like the sunrise.
Creation also shows us how life persists without much effort. God watches over the birds of the air and dresses the flowers in the field. Yet, we toil and spin with great anxiety and cannot add a single day to our lifespan. We ought to slow down and take notice of what God has done to provide all good things to us and praise Him for who He is.
The Law of the LORD is Perfect
Secondly, the Word gives us a greater understanding of God and His Glory. While general revelation can teach us through awe and wonder, it is His Word that shows us who He really is and how we can truly know Him.
If you had the chance to read an owners manual for your partner or your children, would you do it? Of course you would, because despite what you think you know about the person you love the most, there are a million things you wish you knew. The Bible is a means of knowing God. He has declared everything that He wants us to know about Him and it should delight our soul to read what He has written.
Notice how the psalmist describes the benefits of God’s Word. It refreshes the soul, makes us wise, gives joy to our hearts, and gives us insight. It is pure, eternal, and unshakable. It is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. Clearly, the Word of God is a treasure that is worthy of our study.
However, we can all nod our head at these things without it really seeping down into our marrow to actually transform us. All of this romantic language can cause our hearts to flutter, but is it true, or are we just flirting with our faith? When is the last time you read the Bible like a love letter, rekindling your passion for God?
Notice verse 11. It says that the Scriptures are there to warn us and promise us reward. The richness of Scripture is not simply to have our morning devotions and get a sort of pet talk to go out and tackle our day. The Bible cannot be bodied down into needlepoint on pillows. The richness and sweetness of Scripture is in what it teaches us about God. First, that He is holy and has a standard that we must all follow and obey. Second, that He is gracious and rewards those who diligently seek Him even though we do not deserve it.
The joy of Scripture is in knowing God and realizing that we are loved by Him.
But Who Can Discern Their Own Errors?
Third, there is yet a deeper way of knowing God. The psalmist is in a crisis. After observing the glory of God in creation and the holiness of God in His Word, he realizes that we cannot do anything to save ourselves. He cries out to God to forgive his sins so that he might please God and be acceptable to Him. He sees the truth in creation and in Scripture, but he realizes that we need this truth inside of us.
This is a prayer of a man who has come to hate his sin because he knows how much God hates it. He doesn’t just want the sins he’s aware of forgiven, but the sins he can’t even imagine he has done to offend God.
The Christian life is one that struggles with sin because we recognize it for what it really is. We have tasted and seen the glory of God and we want more of the sweetness of His honey. We want the words that we speak, AND the meditations of our heart to be pleasing to God. This is what it means to recognize the weight of our sin that was placed on Jesus when God poured out His wrath on His own Son so that we could be forgiven.
When we realize how small we are in the scope of God’s creation, we must acknowledge that He is our LORD. Whether we recognize it or not, we serve Him and every knee will eventually bow down to worship Him. As we read His Word, we discover the character of God, that He is a righteous judge and He alone can deal with our sin problem. But He has dealt with it. He has poured out His wrath on His Son so that we might be forgiven. Will we place our full weight on Jesus as our rock of salvation?
But God is not simply a creator who sits on His heavenly throne waiting to crush us whenever we mess up. We could never ascend to God, so God descended to mankind. Christ came and dwelt among us so that we might know Him, and right before He went to the cross He promised that His Spirit would come and dwell inside of us. This is the beauty of knowing God as our redeemer. We have been forgiven of our sins and elevated to the position of Christ through His righteousness. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so.
Is Jesus your LORD, rock, and redeemer?
Maybe it’s a good idea to take a break. Turn off your phone or your computer and just be alone with God. Take a walk and enjoy His creation. Meditate on the promises of God. Confess your sins and know that you will be forgiven and cleansed from all of your unrighteousness. Just stop and think about what that means and what it cost Jesus to lay down His life for you. Know that you are loved and live a life that is worthy of the gospel by which you are called.
Adam Miller is the president and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church. This article is a condensed version of one of his sermons.