A lady was working at home
on her computer when she suddenly noticed her laptop
battery power was low and the computer was about to
shut down. She thought the computer is plugged in;
it can’t be using the battery. She began to trace
the laptop cord to the extension cord; she finally
noticed that the extension cord was actually plugged
back into itself instead of the wall outlet!
There is no one thing more
important than getting plugged into to the right
source. We find ourselves giving ourselves
pep talks about how to think and feel about
ourselves—is it a totally inward look? Are our lives
defined by how we think and feel about ourselves or
are they defined around what God thinks and feels
about us? Are we plugged in to ourselves rather than
to the source through whom all life flows?
In Psalms 19 we find the
psalmist taking time to get plugged in. The
psalmists often stopped to look inwardly and upward
to remind themselves of the one they must be plugged
into. In Psalms 19 we find the writer taking time to
get plugged into the right source as he peers into
the distant heavens.
Psalms 19:1-14
19:1 For the director of music. A psalm of David.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his
pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving 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 ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of
my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. NIV
Have you ever sat down and
looked up at the stars in the universe on a clear
night. When I go backpacking I like to sit down
at night and look up at the stars. It is so amazing
early in the morning when the skies are the darkest
to behold the wonder of the heavens. Have you
ever sat down in a place like that and listened as
the world awakens to a new day? In a place like this
you look to the starry heavens in awe as you
contemplate the wisdom of the creator of it all.
There is a solitude there that makes you feel so
small and alone and yet, there is a realization that
the whole creation is guided by the sovereign hand
of almighty God. His laws set it all in motion—and
those very laws engulf your life declaring his
glory. Those laws were set in motion to ultimately
give me life. In the midst of the vastness of all
creation God cups me in his hand.
Can you imagine? Our
modern world is just beginning to realize there are
perhaps literally billions of planets in the
universe. We are just now on the cusps of realizing
the vastness of the universe. Scientists now believe
that every star we behold in the sky has planets
revolving around them. We can’t even comprehend the
infinite God who set this seeming chaotic, yet
orderly universe in motion. Yet, that same hand
oversees my life.
We are beginning to
understand that our universe is not static—in fact
it is continually expanding and growing. Imagine the
hand of an infinite God who continues to create
stars and set planets in motion guiding your life—my
life. Our knowledge today gives a whole new
dimensional understanding of God creating a new
heaven and a new earth for all the redeemed.
The trustworthiness of God
is as sure as the circuit of the sun that gives us
night and day and the differing seasons of the year.
The perfection of God’s law guides the universe and
also desires to guide my seemingly insignificant
life. It is hard to believe God has invested so much
to give me life. This is what makes Christianity so
believable for me. God’s story is not about what man
has done—it is about what God is doing and the life
he desires to give me. It is evident in our
observation of the created universe.
Romans 1:20
20 For since the creation of the world God's
invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine
nature — have been clearly seen, being understood
from what has been made, so that men are without
excuse. NIV
I can only wonder what
circumstances the psalmist was in when he
contemplated this psalm. Was he on a Rocky
Mountain high or was he walking through the valley
overshadowed by death. There were times the
psalmists were crying out—My God, my God why have
you forsaken me. There were other times they were
extolling God’s faithfulness. We find this psalmist
seeking a view of life from an eternal vantage
point.
Psalms 19:1-6
19:1 For the director of music. A psalm of David.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his
pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.
As the psalmist observes
the planets and stars he reminds himself of the
absoluteness of God’s laws as he gazes into the
heavens. The rising and setting of the sun moon
and stars serve as testimony of the precision of
God’s universal laws. He is reminded that the law
God set in motion to guide his life is no less
perfect.
Psalms 19:7-11
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving 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 ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Words like these were not
conjured up by some dreamy eyed poet. They were
coming from a heart that had experienced or was
experiencing the excruciating pain of heartbreak,
troubles and life itself. The psalmist may have been
on a Rocky Mountain high at this moment—but I have
no doubt that he walked the deep valley of death to
ascend to the peak. It was no doubt God’s laws that
guided him to such a place.
Thousands of thoughts run
through our minds every day seeking to define our
lives with an uncertainty of who we are and what we
are doing here. In times like these we find the
psalmists looking to God’s laws to discover his true
purpose for being here. It has a lot clearer message
than trying to define ourselves by the sum of all
our thoughts and experiences.
Conclusion:
The times between feeling
forsaken by God and deciding to commit our lives to
trusting God are difficult. The psalmist decides to
look for clues as he gazes into the heavens. We
often look inward to discover ourselves. We may
simply look to others who seem to have a handle on
life to discover our identity. The battles become so
confusing most just simply get caught up in the
swelling currents of popular opinion and never
discover anything meaningful.
There are times we cry out
with the psalmist and our Lord as he hung on the
cross, "My God, My God why have you forsaken me?"
But in the end we trustingly say, "Into your hands I
commit my spirit." The psalmist determines to turn
his eyes upward to the only one capable of directing
the thoughts of his heart to the truth. He turns to
the ONE who knows him from the inside out.
Psalms 19:12-14
12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of
my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. NIV
Life comes at us in all
directions and things are not always what they seem
to be. But God knows us. He is the only one capable
of directing our thoughts to a greater end. It is
little wonder that we find the prophets declaring
God as their salvation.
Psalms 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation —
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life —
of whom shall I be afraid? NIV
Psalms 62:1-2
My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation ;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. NIV
