In today's reading there were a number of verses that stood out to me:
"I say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.'"
Psalm 16:2
The Lord is David's one and only good thing. David will have nothing to do with the counterfeit gods to whom others worship. This caused me to reflect on my own life. I do feel that I have been blessed with many good things; my wife, kids, housing, vehicles, health, and the list goes on. Maybe I put too high a value on those items and don't place a high enough value on God. David was a king and was very successful, yet he knew that apart from God, he had nothing of value.
"Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin." Psalm 17:3
Resolve. Something we all need as christians, and David expresses his resolve in his decision in being purposeful and deliberate in not having the desire to sin.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous."
8 9
Psalm 19:7-9
God's law is for our good. The side effects are life nurturing - it refreshes us, it provides understanding, we feel joy, and it provides a light in the darkness. The decisions of God are accurate and His reputation comes with a lifetime guarantee. Fear of the Lord; sums up what is required in following the law.
"May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14
Having prayed that God would keep him from sinful actions, he now prays that God would govern his words and thoughts. Something to keep in mind as its usually a thought before it turns into an action.
May our hearts be affected with the excellence of the Word of God, and also with the evil of sin and the danger we are in of it.
3 comments:
Psalm 19:1&2
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 reveal knowledge.
We all at one point in our lives question if their really is a God, and follow that up with wondering why we can't see Him then. Here is passage that helps when we doubt. Just looking at the sky and seeing all the changes it makes (sunny, cloudy, night, day etc) and what it all does (sends rain and snow) reminds us that obviously their is someone making these changes happen. The sky has been doing this for thousands of years and shows no sign of slowing down. Only an awesome power could do this - God
Those same verses stood out to me!
I particularly noticed the one about being resolved to not sin. We have to proactive about fighting the sin in our lives. Having an attitude that is too casual towards our sin is a recipe for disaster.
I appreciated one of the comments in my Life Application Bible.
"My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you." Clearly, David HAD strayed off the path at times (Uriah, Bathsheba).
"David's claim was an understanding of his relationship with God....one of close fellowship and constant repentance and forgiveness. His claim to goodness, therefore, was based on his continual seeking after God."
He had a pretty good grasp on a theology that would be difficult to understand before the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Our sinless standing before God is because of Him. He took our sins and gave us His purity - amazing grace!
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14
Not just what I say but what I think as well.
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