God’s Self-Disclosure (Psalm 19)

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God’s Self-Disclosure

Psalm 19

So I have a question for you . . . How much information about yourself should you give away on a first date? It’s an important question! It’s your first date with a guy or a gal. You’re sitting across the table at a restaurant–you have to answer this question. How much do you share about yourself? Some people want to share everything–some people want to hold back.

For example . . . a show of hands please–guys, should you tell a girl that your grandfather was bald? Ladies, should you tell a guy that you get smelly feet? Guys, should you tell a girl that you have a hairy back? Ladies, should you tell a guy that your mother has a moustache? These are very important self-disclosures that need to come out at some point.

It’s always hard to figure out how much to tell people about yourself, and when you should do it. And by the way, Sereena wanted me to tell you that none of these things apply to her.

When it comes to God, we don’t have this kind of problem. We don’t have to wrangle God for information about Himself. We don’t have to try to guess what He is like, because He has chosen to disclose Himself to us in a few different ways.

People have all kinds of ideas of how to get to know God. Some people try to get close to God by enjoying nature. They figure if they can free their minds of the busyness of life and get away and enjoy some fresh air for a while, there they will discover God. Some people try to discover God through hallucinogenics, meditation, or navel gazing.

Some people want to experience God through art and expression–music and emotion. Others want to find God through experiences, or through people. Some people think they will find God in religion. They believe that they will discover Him by performing rituals and religious ceremonies. How do we get to know God? That’s the question I want to answer this morning.

Are we supposed to just figure Him out for ourselves? Or has God already answered that question for us? Has He already disclosed Himself to us? And if He has, how did he do it? There’s one very cool passage of Scripture that answers that question and that passage is Psalm chapter 19. Please turn there with me this morning, Psalm 19.

C.S. Lewis said Psalm 19 is “the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.” I have to say, this chapter really is one of my favorite passages of the Bible. If you haven’t read it before, I think you’re going to be amazed by it.

Now in the sermon notes, you’ll see this chapter has three main points. In Psalm 19, what we are going to find is that God reveals Himself to humankind in three ways. He discloses Himself to us in three very unique and different mediums.

First, He discloses Himself in His Creation. God is revealed in His Creation, and we will see this in verses 1 to 6. Second, He discloses Himself in His Law. God is revealed in His Law, and we will see this in verses 7 to 11. Third, He discloses Himself in His people. God is revealed in His people, and we will see this in verses 12 to 14.

Or, if you prefer a Chris Mueller type outline, I have one for you. This is how it goes. God is revealed in His WORLD, God is revealed in His WORD, God is revealed in His WITNESSES. Notice the alliteration, ALL CAPS, and the Yellow Highlighter. For what it’s worth, that is your Chris Mueller outline.  Anyway, moving on.

1.  God is Revealed in His Creation Verses 1 to 6

The first way that God reveals Himself to us is through His creation. I want you to read verse 1 with me–it’s a wonderful statement. The psalmist, who in this case is David, says, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” It’s an awesome verse, isn’t it?

Right from the get go, David introduces the theme of the first six verses of the chapter. David is looking up into the sky and he proclaims, “The heavens tell us about God’s glory.”

Now this is what David could see–with just his naked eye, he could look into the night and marvel at God’s creation. This is the Milky Way Galaxy as seen from Earth. The Milky Way Galaxy is comprised of billions of stars, in which our sun is but one.

David didn’t have any concept of the physical size of the Milky Way Galaxy, or the dimensions of the various bodies that make up this amazing system. Even today astronomers can’t fully survey the whole thing, but David could look into the night sky and know that the heavens above have a voice. That voice is declaring the glory of God, proclaiming the power of God, and disclosing the creative design of God.

Now that’s what David could see and know. But let me tell you what David couldn’t see and didn’t know. David didn’t know that the earth is one of eight planets in our solar system rotating around the sun. Now this is an interesting graphic. This is our solar system. Just to give you an idea of the scale here–it takes eight minutes for light to get from the sun to earth, but it takes over four hours for that same light to get from the sun way out to Neptune on the edge of our solar system (and five hours to Pluto, if you still consider Pluto a planet).

That means that at this scale, our screen would actually need to be 100 miles wide to accurately portray the distance from the sun all the way out to Neptune. Our solar system is huge and it is screaming out to humankind that God is glorious! And according to verse 1 of Psalm 19, our solar system is preaching to us this very day that the God who created it is infinitely powerful!

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” But what you’ve got to realize is that our solar system is minuscule compared to the Milky Way Galaxy. Take a look at this–this is the Milky Way Galaxy.

So you know how I told you that it takes just over four hours for light to travel from the sun to Neptune? Well, do you know how long it takes for light to travel from one side of the Milky Way Galaxy to the other? It takes 100 thousand years for light to travel across our galaxy, and light travels faster than a speeding bullet! Light travels at 186,000 miles per second and even at that speed it would still take 100 thousand years to get from one side of our galaxy to the other!

The Milky Way galaxy is immense. It contains around 200 billion stars–some of them smaller than our sun, some of them bigger than our sun. Some of these stars are bigger than the circumference of the earth’s orbit around the sun. Many of these stars have their own solar systems, which contain millions of other planets too.

The Milky Way Galaxy is so large that when you try to look for our sun, it is so small you can’t even see it. Our solar system is so small compared to our galaxy that it doesn’t even appear on this picture. It just looks like an area of cloud. But you see, when it comes to the universe, that’s not the extent of it, because we haven’t even left our neighborhood yet.

If we travelled at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) and kept that up for 2½ million years, we would come across this galaxy. This is the Andromeda Galaxy which contains 1 trillion stars. That makes it 50 times bigger than our own Milky Way Galaxy.

But that’s not really even scratching the surface, because if we were to keep travelling for 28 million years (at the speed of light) we would run into this amazing galaxy, called the Sombrero Galaxy, named for obvious reasons. This galaxy contains hundreds of millions of stars and systems and other masses and the only thing keeping this galaxy together is what is called a super-massive black-hole at the center, which keeps everything from escaping out into space.

But look at this closely–look beyond the Sombrero Galaxy at the background. It looks like there are more stars, but they aren’t stars. They are millions and millions more galaxies just like this one–the Whirlpool Galaxy, which is 31 million light years from earth and contains somewhere between 300 and 500 million stars which each have their own orbiting satellites, forming their own solar systems even bigger and more expansive than our own.

Listen to the prophet Isaiah in 40:26, “Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.” That right there, blows my mind! God not only created every single one of these humungous constellations with a word, but He assigned them names and He remembers them.

The Apostle Paul tells us that Christ was the Creator. Look at this in Colossians 1:16 to 17, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Christ is the Creator of the universe, but He also right now today is holding it all together. His sustaining power keeps these massive bodies of matter and gases in their proper places. And if it wasn’t for His present work in the universe, the whole thing would fall apart. It would disintegrate. It wouldn’t even be.

Now let’s come back to Psalm 19, and remember, I just gave you more information than David could have ever known. And yet he could say with full conviction, and let’s read it here in verse 1, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”

Verse 2, “Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world.”

David’s point in these opening verses is to show that God’s creation is a constant voice to all humankind. No matter what language a person speaks, no matter what continent they dwell on, no matter whether they come out in the day or in the evening–people everywhere have a constant voice consistently pouring forth testimony to the power and glory and immense wisdom of God, so that no person of any location or of any time could ever have any excuse to not know there is a Creator God.

Look at Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world [God’s] invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that [people] are without excuse.”

No one anywhere, of any time, who ends up in Hell because of their rejection of God could ever point their finger at God and argue that they didn’t get a chance. Because God is going to say to them, “All you needed to do was face up to the reality of my creation which preached to you every single day that I exist. But instead, you foolishly believed the lies of evolution and the Big Bang, which were the dumbest theories ever.”

David says, “Look at the creation and see the wonders of our God, because creationism is the only thing that makes sense.” Now remember, David didn’t write these verses in Psalm 19 so that we might be encouraged to glory in the universe itself. He didn’t write this Psalm to stimulate worship of the stars, but rather his intention was to produce worship of the One who made the stars.

I’d hate for you to walk away this morning amazed by these pictures of space. No–be amazed at the glory and power of the God who made them. Glory in Him, not the universe. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” How did He do this? Just by speaking a few words.

In Genesis 1:14, Moses recorded the fourth day of the creation week saying, “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth’; and it was so.”

See, we look at these pictures of various galaxies and they blow our minds to think just how big the universe is. But what should amaze us is that one person, with just a few words, could bring that immense universe into being on one day without even breaking a sweat. God is not only powerful, but He is eternally powerful. He is omnipotent.

There is no end to His power and therefore even the creation of the universe was an easy thing for Him. It required such a minuscule percentage of His ability and effort that the magnificence of the created universe pales into insignificance when compared to who God is.

You think the universe is big? God is bigger. He holds the whole thing in the palm of His hand. If only our generation would turn their eyes to the stars and wake up to the fact that God is awesome, because God is revealed in His creation!

Now the next thing David does is he tries to describe the sun. But remember, David didn’t know what we know about the sun. For instance, David didn’t know that you could fit 1.3 million earths inside the sun.

Here in this picture, you can see the size of the earth compared to the size of the sun. Now obviously the earth is actually positioned much further from the sun than this picture indicates. And I am thankful for that, because on the surface of the sun there are thousands of nuclear explosions going off every minute, so that the temperature on the surface of the sun is 10,000 degrees F.

But in spite of this energy burning, if God would allow time to continue long enough (and He won’t, but if He did), there is enough energy inside the sun to keep it burning for another 5 to 6 billion years. But David didn’t know that. David saw the sun like this each morning–a beautiful, bright, radiating, life-sustaining, warmth-providing globe that travels its course each and every day with unswerving regularity.

Look at verse 4 with me. This is how David describes the sun. “In them [that’s the heavens] He has placed a tent for the sun.” The tent here apparently is the night into which the sun retreats every evening and then exits again every morning.

Then in verse 5 David says, “The sun is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; it rejoices as a strong man to run his course.” Every morning the sun emerges from the night like a bridegroom who joyfully comes out of the bedroom after his first night with his new bride–face beaming. Yes folks, the Bible really does say that. The sun comes out of its room, smiling, every morning.

And like a champion runner, the sun speeds with matchless regularity and unwearied swiftness in its appointed orbit. It’s like it is mere play–the sun shows no signs of effort, weakness, or exhaustion. God has created for the earth an energy source that never fails to deliver its heat and light. It’s there every single day.

In verse 6 David says, “The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens, and its circuit to the other end of them; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” So the sun has a circuit that is designed by God and maintained by God. It’s not just that the earth is rotating around the sun, but also the sun has an orbit around the galaxy and the galaxy has an orbit around the universe, all of which is mapped out by God Himself.

The revolution of the earth means that the whole earth receives the sun’s heat. Nothing escapes the energy of the sun. The earth is positioned by God at just the right distance from the sun (93 million miles), and at just the right angle so that the winters are not too cold and the summers are not too hot. Therefore the average temperature of the globe is just right to sustain life.

But just as nothing escapes the heat of the sun, so too nothing escapes its testimony–because even the sun is a testament to the creative power and glory of God Himself. If you want to know how powerful God is, take a look at the universe. If you want to know how infinite God is, take a look at the universe. If you want to know how creative and imaginative God is, take a look at the universe. If you want to know how timeless God is, take a look at the universe.

That’s point number one–God is revealed in His creation. Let’s go to the second part of the Psalm, which tells us that . . .

2.  God is Revealed in His Law Verses 7 to 11

Look at verse 7. David makes an abrupt transition in his thinking. He doesn’t use a transitional statement, he just changes the subject altogether. In the first six verses, the meter of the Hebrew poem was 4/4, but from verse 7 onwards, the Hebrew meter becomes 3/2.

David even starts to use a different name for God. In the first six verses, he used the title “El” for God and in the next section David uses the title “Jehovah”. The whole feel and subject changes radically right here at verse 7. This is what he says . . .

The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.”

Incredible verses! In this section, you can see that David is talking now about the written Word of God, which he probably had in his possession. He was the king. He could afford a personal copy. At this point in history, David would have had the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament), and as he reflects on this part of Scripture, he assigns the written Word of God six titles, six descriptions, and six actions. Let’s look at the six titles for the Word of God.

Law (verse 7)–Instructions/Rules for God’s people on how they should live

Testimony (verse 7)–Eye-witness accounts, authentications, and verifications of God’s interactions with the world

Precepts (verse 8)–Charge or commission to His people

Commandment (verse 8)–Prescription for His people, commandments they must obey

Fear (verse 9)–The Word of God is called fear because it is that which causes men and women to reverence or fear God

Judgments (verse 9)–His pronouncements, His decisions, His will

Then David provides six descriptions for the Word of God

It’s Perfect (verse 7)–David could say this, even though he had only a portion of the ultimate revelation which we possess today

It’s Sure (verse 7)–It is trustworthy and verifiable. There’s no need to question the Word of God.

It’s Right (verse 8)–Straightforward and just, not perverse or crooked in any way, it is right. It is correct.

It’s Pure (verse 8)–Free from all taint of injustice, there are no impurities in the Word of God. It is righteous.

It’s Clean (verse 9)—It is uncontaminated, unsoiled, unpolluted.

It’s True (verse 9)–It is factual, accurate, correct, trustworthy. There are no errors in the Bible. It is inerrant.

And then he also identifies six actions of the Word of God.

It restores the soul (verse 7)–This is not a reference to conversion, but a reviving effect that permeates the soul of an already converted child of God.

It makes wise the simple (verse 7)–That is, it imparts true heavenly wisdom to believers.

It rejoices the heart (verse 8)–It brings deep and satisfying joy to the heart of someone, no matter what their trial and difficulty in life.

It enlightens the eyes (verse 8)–It teaches, it instructs, it imparts wisdom. It gets our attention and we are drawn to it.

It endures forever (verse 9)–It doesn’t change with the times, but remains constant into eternity.

And then at the end of verse 9, David goes off on a bit of a tangent for a while, and so to find the remaining action of the Word of God you need to go down to verse 11.

It warns God’s servants (verse 11).

Now I’m pretty sure many of you have probably seen these three categories of six titles, six descriptions, and six actions before–so let me just summarize for you here. David has stepped up the ante here. He has moved from one form of revelation to a far superior form of revelation. He has moved from general revelation (the creation) to special revelation (the written Word), which is even better.

Let me explain–gazing into the universe cannot restore the soul. The universe cannot make simple people wise in regard to the things of God. The universe cannot rejoice the heart like God’s Word can. The universe cannot enlighten eyes. The universe will not endure forever. And the universe cannot proclaim a moral standard by which all people must live in order to become righteous in the eyes of God.

The universe can’t do any of these things, but the Word of God can. If you want to really know God intimately, you are totally wasting your time going on nature walks and sleeping under the stars. General revelation pales into insignificance when compared to special revelation.

Now I love walking through the bush (especially in New Zealand–it’s beautiful), marvelling at the creation of God and spending time in prayer as I go. I love to gaze up into the stars to wonder at the size of God’s creation–but those activities alone will never bring anyone to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

They will never challenge anyone about their sin and need of a Savior. They will never instruct anyone about the glories of the Gospel. They will never challenge anyone about living godly. They will never tell anyone about how to know God personally.

Let me tell you a story. Back when I was trying to complete one degree, I needed a few units, so I went to a questionable “Christian” college. At the end of the class, the professor set up an Emergent Prayer Labyrinth in a large room—it was a maze with assorted stations. It started with candles to light, another with paper, crayons and paint, and one with PlayDoh to shape into your impression of God, etc. We were instructed to enter barefooted so we would be grounded to be closer to God.

I felt it was going to be a waste of time, but decided to take my Bible so at least I could spend time reading as I prayed. As I started to enter, the professor asked what I was doing with my Bible? When I told him, he said, “No—the Bible will only clutter your thoughts. The point is to clear your mind so you can get close to God.”

If you want to know God, you’ve got to read the Bible. Listen, the heavens are good at revealing God, but they are not as good as this book. Some of you have printed copies. Some of you have digital copies. I want you to realize what you are holding in your hands. It’s the written revelation of almighty God, written by God Himself. The Creator of the universe wrote a book so you could know Him!

Psalm 138:2 says, “You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.” As high and as lofty as God’s name is, so too is His Word. Do you realize what you are holding in your hands? The Apostle Peter had this amazing experience on the Mount of Transfiguration.  He was standing there with James and John, and right before their eyes he saw the glory of Jesus Christ.

It was like Jesus’ skin was peeled back for a moment and Peter could see the second person of the Trinity in all His glory. Christ’s face shone like the sun–Peter saw God! And when He heard the Father speak from Heaven, he fell over and put his face in the dirt and was shaking with fear.

This was a life-changing experience, but you know what? Years later, when Peter reflected on that experience, he said something really interesting. He records this in 2 Peter 1:16, “I am an eyewitness of [Christ’s] majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father . . . we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”

He’s referring to the Transfiguration. Look at what he says next in verse 19, “But we have the prophetic word which is more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” Even though Peter had seen the transfigured Christ standing right in front of him, and even though he had heard the voice of God from Heaven, he was inspired by God to say that God has provided a written word that is even more sure than that experience!

The written Word of God is more compelling, more revealing, more trustworthy, more powerful, more effective than being present at the Transfiguration. That’s what Peter is saying. If you want to know God, don’t wait for some huge event in your life to reveal God to you. Don’t ask for a trip to Heaven. Don’t wait for a near-death experience. If you want to know God, read the Bible.

Do you realize what you are holding in your hands? Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” This book is alive and powerful. It cuts deep. It cuts to the core of our souls. This is where we find God.

2 Timothy 3:16 to 17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Do you realize what you’re holding in your hands? This book is the key to walking with God. Please don’t neglect it. Please don’t disregard it. Instead, saturate yourself with the Word of God every single day of your life.

Now here is the real test. If you’re evaluating your own soul this morning to see if you love the Word of God as you know you should, think about this. Most of us will read verses 7 to 9 and respond with loud “Amens”. Let’s do an exercise. Look at the six titles, six descriptions, and six actions of the Word of God here.

Do you believe the Law of God is perfect and restores the soul? Yes! You can say, “Amen,” to that! Do you believe the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the simple? Yes, of course! “Amen.” Do you believe God’s precepts are right and rejoice a person’s heart? “Amen!” Do you believe the Lord’s commandment is pure? Yes, we believe that! Do you believe God’s Word is true and righteous? Yes!

See, we can agree with all of this doctrinal truth, but it doesn’t mean squat, unless we can say, “Amen,” to verse 10. Look at verse 10, “[The judgments of the Lord] are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.” See, here’s the real test. Can you say that?

Can you honestly say that the Bible is more valuable to you than money? It’s more important to you than financial security? It’s more important to you than guaranteed resources for the rest of your life? Can you honestly say that the Bible is more valuable to you than the sweetest tasting food you can think of? It’s more desirable to you than the comforts of tasty cuisine? You’d rather spend time in the Word than eat a steak–can you really say that?

Do you know what you’re holding in your hands? Because if you do, it will be evidenced by your desire to read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, dwell on it, talk about it, tweet it, text it, post it, love it all the time! Job said that he treasured the words of God’s mouth more than his necessary food (Job 23:12). We need to be that way.

Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” If you really want to know God intimately, you’re going to have to saturate yourself in Scripture. Gazing at the stars will not suffice. Living in your Zen garden, won’t do it.

But if you dedicate yourself to a steady diet of God’s special revelation, your soul will be restored, even when your wife nags at you. If you study the Bible, your simple understanding will be replaced with great wisdom, even when your world seems to be falling down all around you. If you depend upon God’s Word, your heart will constantly be rejoicing, even when your husband breaks another promise.

If you learn the Scriptures, your eyes will glow with new insights and understanding, even when you’re persecuted for rejecting secular philosophies and theorized “science”. If you share Scriptures with others, you’ll be warned about how to stay away from sin, even though the world tells you to enjoy it.

And if you put what you read into practice, verse 11 says you will receive great reward. Obey the Scriptures, and you will receive great reward! This is how you get to know God. First, God reveals Himself in His creation–His WORLD, the universe. Second, He even better reveals Himself in His Law–the WORD, the Bible. And last . . .

3.  God is Revealed in His People Verses 12 to 14

That is to say, when His people avail themselves to God as disclosed in creation and as revealed in His Word, then the evidence of that revelation will be seen in the lives of His people too. The easiest way to see the evidence of God’s hand in someone’s life is to see their reaction to their own sin.

Look at verses 12 and 13, “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression.”

Four times, David mentions sin in these two verses. He calls them “errors, hidden faults, presumptuous sins, and great transgressions.” He starts out in verse 12 saying, “Who can discern his errors?” And it’s a rhetorical question. It doesn’t need an answer, because it’s obvious–“No one can discern his own errors.” We are all so sinful that we don’t realize how sinful we are.

John Calvin said, “There is not a man who knows the hundredth part of his own sins.” Spurgeon said, “No arithmetic can number our sins. Before we can recount a thousand, we will commit ten thousand more.” That’s why David says in verse 12, “Acquit me of hidden faults.”

David knew that he was so sinful that he could even commit sins without realizing he was committing sin. He knew that these hidden faults were so deeply ingrained in his flesh that he could commit them and not even bat an eyelid. And so he begs God for acquittal for these inadvertent sins.

And then in verse 13 he turns to what he calls “presumptuous sins.” These are the deliberate ones. These are the sins that are planned out in advance and carried out with a proud contempt for God. And David again is praying to God, pleading with God to keep him back from these deliberate sins, because he knows that these premeditated sins can so easily rule over him.

Do you know how you can tell if God is present in your life? You can tell that God is present when you are serious about the problem of your sin. If you are not saddened over your daily sin, you are not a Christian. Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are those who mourn” (Matthew 5:4). Mourning over your sin is the only right response to it.

There are far too many so-called “Christians” who don’t take their sin seriously. Some people think that it is sufficient to bundle up their sin and go see a priest once a year to get it off their chest–as if they could count their sins on one hand or something. Some people don’t think about confession of sin until it comes to communion time each Sunday, and they spend maybe 30 seconds thinking about one or two sins in very general terms before they take the bread and cup. That is not a person who is taking sin seriously. That is not a person who is revealing the presence of the holy and righteous God in their life.

A true Christian is constantly pleading with God to grant him a lifestyle where deliberate sins are not ruling over him. A Christian who is saturated with the Word of God is constantly evaluating their actions, and their words, and their thoughts, and their desires, and their loves. That person will also be constantly confessing sin to God, begging for forgiveness, and pleading with Him to be kept back from future sins.

And the one result that keeps them doing this is because they know from verse 13, “Then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression.” There’s nothing they want more than that! –God’s forgiveness. There’s nothing better in the world than knowing you are forgiven.

Look at this. This is where David finishes the Psalm–this is an awesome prayer. Look at verse 14–this is his request, this is his prayer. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” It’s an earnest prayer. He’s begging God for help. He’s pleading with God to bring about a godly lifestyle in him.

Do you want to reveal the presence of God in your life? Do you want people to look at you and see God’s presence? There are three things to do, according to David. Put off your sin. Put on acceptable behavior. Bathe both of those in much prayer, because you can do neither in your own strength. Put off your sin, put on behavior that is acceptable to God and bathe both practices in much prayer, because you can’t do it without God’s help.

Listen, if David prayed for help, then we need to do it to. That’s Psalm 19–it’s an awesome passage of Scripture. Aren’t you glad that God has disclosed Himself to us? There’s no guesswork on who God is. There’s no confusion about His character and His attributes. There are no doubts about how to relate to Him both now and into eternity.

He has revealed Himself to us in His creation, in His law, and in His people. God has been so kind to us to let us know who He is. I really hope you will take the application questions on the last page of your notes and think about those this afternoon and tonight. I hope they will help you to talk over this passage with your family and with friends.

I hope they will help you to be “doers of God’s Word and not just hearers who delude themselves.” Let me say it this way. We know that the heavens speak of God. We know that the Scriptures speak of God. May it be that our very lives would speak of God also. Let’s pray.

About Nigel Shailer

A pastor and elder at Faith Bible Church and head of the counseling ministry.

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