A Year Through God's Eyes

Psalm 19:1-6 (NET): The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays His handiwork. Day after day it speaks out; night after night it reveals His greatness. There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard. Yet its voice echoes throughout the Earth; its words carry to the distant horizon. In the sky He has pitched a tent for the sun. Like a bridegroom it emerges from its chamber; like a strong man, it enjoys running its course. It emerges from the distant horizon, and goes from one end of the sky to the other; nothing can escape its heat.
I'm not sure that anyone who lives in South Texas like we do, or in Georgia like I used to, or in the Middle East like David did needs to be reminded of the power of the sun. As such, the beginning verses of this psalm speak so much on the subject that it makes it easy to miss David's point. I was reading a different commentary on this psalm that said this may have begun as a song to praise the sun. The only problem with this thought is the very 1st sentence! David isn't paying homage to the sun in all its splendor, it's saying that although we feel and are aware of the sun's mighty power, there is someone greater who orders its steps, who knows its boundaries, who allows it to provide light and heat. Having said that, the next section takes a drastic turn in tone and fully praises God's character.
7-11 (NET): The law of the Lord is perfect and preserves one's life. The rules set down by the Lord are reliable, and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. The Lord's precepts are fair and make one joyful. The Lord's commands are pure and give insight for life. The commands to fear the Lord are right and endure forever. The judgement given by the Lord are trustworthy and absolutely just. They are of greater value than gold, than even a great amount of pure gold, they bring greater delight than honey, than even the sweetest honey from the honeycomb. Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there; those who obey them receive a rich reward.
It seems easy to look at David's breakdown of God's law and read it the same way we read some of the genealogies of the Bible, but we need to slow down and fully allow his words to impact us.
v7: What else in your life is perfect? Can you find it anywhere on this Earth? If you do and it's not God's, then you're kidding yourself. By understanding that truth alone, we probably come to the same conclusion David did, that it's the only thing that's going to save my life. We've all got those friends who you can call at 2Am in the worst situation imaginable and ask them to come get you and they'll be there with no shame or condemnation following behind. That's the friend that Jesus is to us. Here's the difference: even with that earthly friend there are secret sins upon occasion that we won't let them in on, but Jesus is with us in every situation and circumstance and knows our hearts before we do, so He is that friend that we have on Earth, only perfected. The last part of this verse is huge as well. At age 30, I'm not as inexperienced as I once was, but I still find myself in situations where I am unsure of myself and I know that even after I've sought the council of those around me who are more experienced than I am, I can still come to the Scriptures and find some insight into the situation that wasn't there before.
v8: Seriously, can you think of any other book you read where after reading it for 25 plus years, you still regularly find things that you didn't see before? And it's not just, "Oh, they're traveling in the mountains, not the plains!", it's deep, meaningful, life-altering insight. That's the joy David's writing about here. I feel it, too!
v9: This one is a verse that might get thrown to the wayside simply because we're uncomfortable with it, but I think it needs to be true more today than when it was written. There is not only a lack of respect in the way we (and I do mean myself here, also) pass off the fact that there is a God and He is an Almighty being that is so majestic and terrifying that if you see even His back, you glow like a radioactive night-light (Ex. 33, 34). We as a nation, because we have become so calloused and cynical and look for signs that are below our God, we have no respect for a God that could wipe us from the Earth, but in his infinite mercy and patience doesn't. We often also want to see justice done for wrongs committed, but when it's us or someone we know, we beg for mercy. We need to restore our fear of God and trust in His judgements of us. When you think of this list and take the time to dwell on it, you reach the same conclusion that David does in v. 10, the same one Jesus does through living His life, and the same one Paul does in Phil. 3:8, when he writes that compared to knowing God's law and Christ's fulfillment in all where we lack, it's sweeter than the best honey and holds more worth than pure gold. The closer attention we pay to what God tells us through His Word, the more revealed He is to us, the more malleable we are and the better He can guide us. I feel the reward we receive is not Heaven, although that is a part, it's that we have an intimate relationship with the creator of the universe and it's something we don't have to wait for.
12-14 (NLT): How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep Your servant from deliberate sins! don't let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (NLT)
I loved the way the NLT phrases verse 12 when it uses "lurking." The fact of the matter is, there are times when I don't feel in control of my own actions, at these times the sins that come out truly terrify my. That's what David is asking God to cleanse away here. Take away those things that when I'm tired, alone, and in secret, come out that aren't the true me, but because of my sinful nature are a part of me. This is followed up quickly by v. 13 that says, but don't forget about my usual stumbling blocks, either! Don't let the bait that I constantly rise for control and ruin me. I can't help but think about David's largest sin story when I consider that verse. He allowed himself to be controlled by his sinful nature. The way we combat that is to know and use our sword (the Bible) to fend off attacks, which is why David has just spent five previous verses praising God's laws. If we continually fill ourselves with what God has for us, then the prayer at the end of this psalm will become a reality because we will dwell (meditate) so much on what He says, that we'll start to say and show it, too. Finally we must always remember that it was God's choice to save and redeem us and not the other way around.

Prayer Requests:
***Praise: I finally received my contract in my box this afternoon, so I'll send it back in tomorrow and for sure will have a job next year.
***Prayer that everything goes smoothly with the final processes of the house and our garage sale this Sat.
***My younger brother is visiting a church in Va. where my grandparents live and is trying to decide if it's where he needs to work as a youth minister. The trip is happening very soon, pray that he'll choose the way God does.
***Pray that we are able to return to some normalcy as we complete our move and that Kayla and I find more patience with each other and with Brenna and the dogs.
Finally, pray for the church in South Africa that we have partnered with. If you didn't get Kevin's e-mail today about what's going on there, leave me a comment and I'll forward the message. Heck, leave me a comment anyway!