Day three hundred sixty-three
I am one of those people that likes to have order in my house. I wouldn’t characterize it as compulsive; I just like to have a place for everything so that when I look for it I know where it is. Now, I live with three men who don’t always share my passion for cleanliness which can cause a little tension sometimes. So this morning I asked the Lord to please bless me and my family with patience and understanding as I tackle some of those less than organized areas of my house. If all goes well, I might even recruit a few helpers!
Psalm 19
One of life's great challenges is finding the answers to our questions. In this pursuit we search for reliable, trustworthy sources to search for our answers. Where do you go for your answers? Do you have a resource that can answer your questions? Do you have a library that can answer the very questions of life?
There is one question that many people ask, where do you find God? David answers this question for us in Psalm 19. As a young boy tending his father’s flock out in the field, David grew up with two sources for finding God, Nature and Scripture.
In this Psalm David talks about where he finds his answers for life. He shares with us His resources for finding God.
Psalm 19
One of life's great challenges is finding the answers to our questions. In this pursuit we search for reliable, trustworthy sources to search for our answers. Where do you go for your answers? Do you have a resource that can answer your questions? Do you have a library that can answer the very questions of life?
There is one question that many people ask, where do you find God? David answers this question for us in Psalm 19. As a young boy tending his father’s flock out in the field, David grew up with two sources for finding God, Nature and Scripture.
In this Psalm David talks about where he finds his answers for life. He shares with us His resources for finding God.
Nature (vv 1-6)
If you ever wonder if God exists, all you have to do is look up. The heavens declare the glory of God by openly bearing testimony that they have not been put together by chance, but were wonderfully made by the Supreme Architect. Sometimes we're impressed by a certain wonder of a landscape scene or by a nightscape.
If you ever wonder if God exists, all you have to do is look up. The heavens declare the glory of God by openly bearing testimony that they have not been put together by chance, but were wonderfully made by the Supreme Architect. Sometimes we're impressed by a certain wonder of a landscape scene or by a nightscape.
George MacDonald writes, "Something is wrong in the man to whom the sunrise is not a divine glory, for therein is embodied the truth, the simplicity, and the might of the Maker. ... Alongside the gentle meeting of earth and sky, ... the great burst of a new morning, the sordid affairs of mammon sink to the bottom of things and have little more interest.”
David reminds us that we don't find God per se; He removes the veil to reveal Himself. The witness of creation is a silent one. It is something seen, but without words (v 3). He also tells us that nature is not just for the Christian to see God, but is meant for all the earth to learn to recognize Him (v 4). Man has the witness of creation before his eyes, but some will choose to ignore it. As a result, man has to lie to himself and without a Creator, he descends into a moral mess.
Scripture (vv 7-11)
We've been outdoors looking at God's world, now David leads us inside and picks up with the scriptures. Notice how David describes the scriptures:
Law (v 7) - instruction
Testimony (v 7) - a witness to God’s will and man’s duty
Statutes (v 8) - a collection of specific injunctions
Commandment (v 8) - that which expresses the will of a personal God
Fear (v 9) - that which brings reverence for God
Judgments (v 9) - it is also a group of judgments
How reliable is it?
It is perfect (v 7), sure/trustworthy (v 7), right (v 8), pure (v 8), clean/clear (v 9), true (v 9) and righteous (v 9).
The idea is that you can count on God’s Word. It does not change, it is trustworthy. God’s Word is true, whether we believe in it or not.
What does it do?
It converts the soul (v 7); makes the simple wise (v 7); brings joy to the heart (v 8); sheds light on the way of life (v 8), bears warning (v 11) and tells of our rewards (v 11).
All of these things are important, but for me the warning part is playing a larger rule in my life. In today's society I think it is important that we pay attention to the warnings in the scriptures. God means what He says. He doesn’t warn us to ruin our fun. He wants to protect us from the temptations of the world.
Note that David ends this Psalm with a prayer. It seems fitting that he would do so after reflecting on finding God. Notice what he prays for:
keep me from sin (v 13)
give me the right words to say (v 14)
a heart fueled by God's will (v 14)
acceptance from God (v 14)
strength (v 14)
If we started each day beholding God's glory in nature and the scriptures, and we lived each day with devotion and determination; then at the end of each day we will have done what pleases Him! I have already spent some time this morning finding God in the scriptures, so I think a good goal would be to find God in nature today. Yes, it is possible to find God even in the rainy, stormy weather of the Pacific Northwest.
No comments:
Post a Comment