June 13, 2023

Psalm 19: 1-14 The heavens declare the glory of God . . . The law of the Lord is perfect. (NIV)

The more we learn about the universe, the more reasonable it seems to bow humbly before the Creator whose power and intelligence designed it.*

Even non-believers can be unwitting participants when the heavens are declaring God’s glory. Anyone with eyes to see must acknowledge the beauty of creation, if not the existence of the Creator. Perhaps that is why, in verses 1 – 6, David uses a generic word for God. It is just a word that anyone of any religion might use.*

But then we come to the rest of the psalm, in which David waxes poetic about the law of the Lord. Now he switches from referring to God by a general term to calling him by name. Yahweh. It’s like the difference between calling me “woman” and addressing me as “Connie.” Nature, David seems to be implying, may reveal God, but his law reveals “his personal voice to his chosen people.”*

When we stand in awe of God’s creative power as revealed in nature, we give him glory. But when we love his word, we acknowledge his personal revelation to us. It’s not just a list of rules or a code of conduct, it is a love letter. As David says, it is perfect – reviving the soul (verse 7); and it is right – giving joy to the heart (verse 8). His words are more precious than gold (verse 10). Do we give his words the honor they deserve? Can we say we love him if we don’t love his word?

If I can see that the law of God is for my good, it will change everything.*