Read | Psalm 19:1–14
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour out speech;
night after night they communicate knowledge.
There is no speech; there are no words;
their voice is not heard.
Their message has gone out to the whole earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming from his home;
it rejoices like an athlete running a course.
It rises from one end of the heavens
and circles to their other end;
nothing is hidden from its heat.
The instruction of the LORD is perfect,
renewing one’s life;
the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy,
making the inexperienced wise.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
making the heart glad;
the command of the LORD is radiant,
making the eyes light up.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are reliable
and altogether righteous.
They are more desirable than gold—
than an abundance of pure gold;
and sweeter than honey
dripping from a honeycomb.
In addition, your servant is warned by them,
and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.
Who perceives his unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins;
do not let them rule me.
Then I will be blameless
and cleansed from blatant rebellion.
May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
Click here to listen to the Scripture in ESV.
What new insights stood out to you from this passage when rereading it after learning more about this book of the Bible throughout the past week?
Focus
To prepare your heart and mind even further for today's sermon, the Story of Scripture team at Dallas Theological Seminary wrote this devotional you might enjoy. Make a plan to join us at one of our five campuses to engage this passage in prayer and study with others in our church family.
Just Be It
by Kraig McNutt - based on Psalm 19
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, LORD, my rock and my redeemer." —Psalm 19:14
Creation is already living in God’s presence, virtually without effort. We are to do the same — and the key is to have the word of God, Scripture, written on one’s heart (v. 14).
An “imager” is someone whose core identity is synced with God’s character and shaped by his presence, as natural as the heavens declaring the glory of God. How can our lives declare God's glory the way the sun does?
The famous Nike commercial slogan is “Just Do It!” In other words, buck up, try harder, and gather the strength to make it happen.
The slogan for Psalm 19 is “Just Be It!” This happens when our interior life—our character, our habits, our behavior—images the One in whose image we are made.
In the Academy Award-winning film “Chariots of Fire”, the character Eric Liddell says, “When I run, I feel his pleasure.” That’s the psalmist David’s point. Live your life in full stride, so that when others watch you in the race of life, they see a man or a woman who displays the glory of God “like an athlete running a course” (v. 5).
So, let's break this down. How can we do this? Simply put, by being the sermon instead of preaching the sermon. Nothing wrong with using words — but as imagers, our lives are designed by God to reflect his character, his goodness, his love, in such a way that the sermon of our life does not require words or voice.
When I was a teenager, I committed my life to following Christ. I told my dad about my decision, and let's just say it didn't go too well. I remember praying after that, "God, if you can save my dad, you can save anyone." But I changed my strategy—from sharing words in a sermon to living my life before my dad in such a way that he might see Christ in me, the hope of glory.
Fast forward almost twenty years. The day my dad died of cancer, the hospital chaplain shared the words of hope with him. Afterward, the chaplain told me, "I have never seen a man's heart so soft as your dad’s, who was ready to find his peace with God."
Pray
Craft your own prayer based on the Scripture passage, asking God to be present in all the gatherings of churches across the globe, as the gospel story is shared today.
Invite someone else (friend, family member, church member, etc.) to engage in this passage in prayer with you, and share with them one thing that was meaningful to you from it.
Going Deeper
If you are also following the BibleProject’s One Story That Leads to Jesus reading plan, complete today’s reading.