Saturday, June 13, 2015

Day after Day They Pour Forth Speech








Day after Day They Pour Forth Speech
Psalm 19

The Bible tells us that the sky and the sun, the moon and the stars, the land and the trees and all of God’s creatures, they all pour forth speech, day after day. Speech about the God who created them and a witness to His faithfulness and love.  Let’s listen to the first few lines of Psalm 19.

     “The heavens declare the glory of God:
       And the firmament shows forth His handiwork.
       Day after day they pour forth speech,
        And night unto night they reveal 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.”  (Psalm 19:1-4)

 Psalm 19 is saying that nature has much to tell us, if we have ears to hear.  And God’s handiwork has much to reveal to us, if we have eyes to see.  God’s glory and goodness appear everywhere in His work of creation.  If we will be observant it will be revealed to us. 

So many details in nature that show the Creator’s loving Hand.  The constant and regular succession of day and night. The earth not being positioned too close to the sun where it would be too hot to sustain life.  And then the earth not being too far away from the sun where it would be too cold for life to flourish. The summer and winter solstices proven year after year that He faithfully keeps the sun in its appointed boundaries.  And all of the stars and moon. All of creation declares His almighty power and glory.        

Just as we can learn something about an artist by studying his or her art work, we can also learn something about God by observing His creation and His handiwork.  When we read the creation story in the Bible we find that after God had created our world He stopped and looked at His creation and said that everything that He had made was very good. (Genesis 1)

 In the beginning, God created a perfect and very good world. Billions of tiny details all working together in order and with meaning and love. There was “no killing in His holy hill”.  No death.  It was only after those first humans (Adam and Eve) sinned that our physical world fell and became blighted and was no longer the perfect place God had created it to be.(Genesis 3)  The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and creation fell under the curse of sin and death.  But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)  God promises to come in due time and create a new heaven and a new earth where there will be no more sin or blight or death.        

Psalm 19 also tells us of another way that God speaks to us.  He not only speaks to us through His creation but He also reveals Himself to us in His inspired Word.  God speaks to us in many other ways as well.  He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit and He guides us in ways that we may not recognize.  But Psalm 19 only tells of two of the many ways that God speaks to us: through nature and through His inspired Word.

God’s glory appears in the work of His creation, but much more in and by divine revelation.  The last part of Psalm 19 speaks of God’s inspired Word and how it changes us.  Let’s listen:

   “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.
     The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
     The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
     The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
     The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
     The ordinances of the Lord are sure, and altogether righteous.  
     They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold: they are sweeter than honey, than        
     honey from the honeycomb.  By them is your servant warned: In keeping them there is great
     reward.”  (Psalm 19:7-11) 

The Word of God received by faith is sweet to the soul, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.  The Word of God revives the soul and makes the simple wise, gives joy to our hearts and light to our eyes.  We have so much to gain by believing His Word.  And so much to lose by not believing His Word.  His Word is sure and will last forever.  Oh, that we would believe God’s Word and have a high view of Scripture!  Never let anyone take that away from you!

Psalm 19 ends with these words:

     “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O
      Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”  (Psalm 19:14) 

May we join in this prayer with David, that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts will also be pleasing to God, our Rock and our Redeemer. 
    

      











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