Psalm 19

Psalm 19 begins with an exposition of how creation declares the glory of God. The skies and the sun show that He is great and powerful and worthy of honor and praise. Then the psalm turns towards God’s law and what He has revealed about Himself to mankind.

7          The Law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.

            The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

8          The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.

            The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

9          The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.

            The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.

Really? Have you ever found the Law of the Lord to be refreshing? Or is it condemning? Do we really believe that the statutes of the Lord are trustworthy? Why don’t we follow them completely then? Do the precepts and commands of the Lord bring us joy which shines through our eyes? Do we live out the righteous decrees of the Lord, or do we shy away from the hard ones that require great sacrifice? Do we truly desire to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ through obedience?

I confess, this Psalm took me by surprise as I read through it one morning this week. These three verses are something I can mentally affirm. Yes, I believe all these things. However, I do not always live in light of them. God says to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). But this is really hard to do when someone is slandering our name, gossiping about us behind our back, or making life really difficult. My prayer in such circumstances is that God would deal with them, not that God would help me love them!

Psalm 19 tells us what kind of God we serve: One who is perfect and can refresh the soul; one who is trustworthy and can grow us; one who is the source of joy and light, one who is pure and endures forever; and one who is righteous and unwavering. What an amazing God! In God’s law, statutes, precepts, commands, and decrees, God has revealed Himself to us, and as we keep these things, we come to know Him and become more like Him.

The psalm continues:

10        They are more precious that gold, than much pure gold

            They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.

11        By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

12        But who can discern their own errors? Forgive me hidden faults!

13        Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.

            Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

14        May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart by pleasing in your sight,

            Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Is our greatest fear falling into sin? If so, then God’s law is so valuable to us! It is sweeter than honey and more precious than pure gold, because it warns us of where we will fall into sin. By it, we are warned, taught, enlightened, and can seek forgiveness so that we can stand before God innocent.

If our greatest fear is not falling into sin, and harming our relationship with our Redeemer, then God’s law is just a guideline, not a lifeline.  Take time to examine yourself and your heart. Are you troubled by your sin? The white lies you tell to get out of something or puff yourself up before others? The blind eye you turn towards the suffering and the desperate? The evil thoughts you think towards others while driving?

God is troubled by your sin. He is so troubled that He foresaw your sin and transgressions, and sent his only Son to pay the price for them so that you could be saved and have a relationship with your Creator and Redeemer. He gave us His law and precepts, His idea of what righteousness, justice, mercy, and grace look like so that we could learn His ways. May we all desire righteousness through obedience to the law and will of God!