“The Meditation of My Heart”

Meditation on Psalm 19

March 8, 2015

The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hidden from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;  the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

***

   The first time I visited rural, Southwestern Minnesota, I was amazed at how big the sky looked, especially compared to the view I was used to, living out East in a metropolitan area.  We saw only a little bit of the sky as a backdrop for the tall buildings and highways, rolling hills and thick forests. Out here, where the farmland goes on and on, the sky also goes on and on, with very few trees or man-made structures to block the view.

     You don’t experience the full impact of the big sky unless you are standing outside. Sure, you can see the sky from the window of your home or car. But it’s not the same as being outside, is it?  Especially at night. You don’t get a full view of the stars overhead unless you are actually out in the night air. And you might not even notice the sky, if you are thinking about something else. You can take the big sky for granted when your mind is too busy worrying about your troubles and when you are trying to come up with solutions to your problems all by yourself. The sky might as well be small!

    I can’t look up at the sky here, day or night, and not think of the Lord. Can you? How could you not believe in God when you see the sky? I can’t understand how people can be atheists. Human beings can design impressive buildings, bridges and roads. Talented artists can paint scenes and portraits that take your breath away.

   But only God can make a sky!

***

    The writer of Psalm 19 also appreciates the beauty of the sky or the “heavens” as he calls it. The beginning of this psalm is all about what the “heavens” or the sky tells us about the Lord. There is no question in the psalmist’s mind, thousands of years ago when he was composing these verses, that there is only one Creator. He is also the one True God. The Jewish religion was different than all the other religions of the world in that believers did not make gods or idols of the Creation. Jewish people didn’t worship, for example, the Sun God as others did; they saw and appreciated the sun, as the psalmist does, and they praised the Lord God, Creator of all. Our God doesn’t just create and move on to the next project. The One True God of Israel creates so that he can have an intimate relationship with human beings. He created us so that He would have someone to love and enjoy--and so that we would love and enjoy Him.

    The psalmist says that all of Creation that is not human and has no capacity for speech nevertheless points to and praises its maker. The sky or the “heavens are telling of the glory of God.” And the “firmament”--the land--“proclaims (God’s) handiwork.” The earth declares that God is the one who has made it all!

   The middle of this Psalm speaks of the law, decrees, precepts, ordinances, and the commandment of the Lord. He is talking about all of Scripture, God’s Holy Word, and not just the 10 Commandments or the other laws of Moses. The Psalmist encourages us to meditate on God’s word--put it into our hearts and minds and think on it each day.

       Here are some reasons why.

      “The law of the Lord is perfect.” It revives the soul! Do you need wisdom? “The decrees of the Lord are sure; making wise the simple.” If you want to find happiness, the “precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” If you want to see things as they really are, “the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes.” If you want to be in right relationship with God, His Word will restore unto you the “fear” or awe of the Lord that is “pure.” Do you want something that really lasts? God’s Word endures “forever,” while everything else in this world will pass away.

     If you are looking for truth and searching for righteousness, search no farther than the Bible. For the “ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” If you are distracted by the things of this world and are longing for what your wealthy neighbor has, here is something of lasting value, a treasure that will never perish. God’s Word, is “more to be desired…than gold, even much fine gold.”

    If you are tempted by sweets and other food that isn’t healthy for your body, hunger instead for God’s Word, which is “sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.” But just as important as filling us with joy, satisfying our hunger, providing a treasure of lasting value, and revealing truth and righteousness, the Bible does something more for us. It shows us how we should live and warns us how we must not live.

      If we didn’t have the 10 Commandments, we wouldn’t know right from wrong, and we would make evil, destructive choices. If we didn’t have the Beatitudes, we would think selfishness, power, wealth and arrogance are all good, and being poor, humble, meek and persecuted are bad. Without the gospels, we wouldn’t have the words of Jesus telling us to love one another as he loves us--and to forgive one another as our heavenly Father forgives us. Without the NT letters, we wouldn’t know that love is kind, patient and gentle and that if we have all the other spiritual gifts, but not love, then we have nothing!

     God’s Word helps us see our faults, even those that are hidden from us. It’s easy for us to overlook our sins when we take our eyes off the Lord. His Word draws us back to him, but doesn’t tear us down or discourage us. It builds us up! For the more we understand ourselves, and how weak and flawed we are, the more we appreciate how strong, gracious, loving, and merciful God is! If we didn’t have God’s Word, we couldn’t be reconciled with Him; we would not have new and everlasting life through His Son. We wouldn’t know how the Lord rescued us, how he suffered and died on a cross so we might be forgiven of all our sins.

      Verse 14 may be the most important verse of this psalm.  After the writer describes how all Creation declares God’s glory, and then tells us the wonder of God’s Word, he prays, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” What he teaches us by this verse is that God cares about what we say and think! Careless words and selfish, negative thoughts matter because they matter to God.  What we say and are meditating on need to be “acceptable” to the Lord. Pleasing to Him. And the only way they may be acceptable or pleasing is if we ask the Lord for help.

     In this final verse, we hear who God is to the psalmist. He is our “rock”--always faithful, never changing. Strong, powerful, and steady. He is our “redeemer.” God is the one who can save us. The only One!

***

     Already in this season of Lent, though it is the holiest time of the year, I have often been lost in my own thoughts and worries. Being inside so much, it is easy to miss the glory of God in Creation. I am longing for spring to finally be here so that I may be out walking under the amazing big sky thinking about and praising my Maker and hearing all Creation declare His glory.

     Sometimes our thoughts and feelings--“the meditation of our hearts” as the psalmist says, are not pleasing to the Lord. And they aren’t healthy for us. We can get so engrossed in our lives, routines and problems, that we stop thinking about and meditating on God’s Word. We look away from the one who can heal us, the one who is our hope and help. It is as if a dark cloud slips in front of the sun. We forget that he alone is our Lord, our Rock and Redeemer. We lose our joy.

    You who are weighed down by heavy thoughts and struggling just to get through every day, let us pray for you! You don’t have to struggle alone. The Lord wants to remove your heavy burdens and reveal the beauty of His Creation. He is with you and He wants you to know the wonder and healing power of His Word that endures forever, though the things of this world pass away. Only the Lord can revive your soul and restore your joy. As a people united in Christ, we will seek God’s wisdom, truth and righteousness together. Let us surrender ourselves to Him, so that we might be changed. So that the meditation of our hearts is truly acceptable to Him. Our Lord. Our Rock. Our Redeemer.

Let us pray.

Holy One, thank you for the beauty of your Creation, for the big sky and land that goes on and on. Thank you for the peace that your Creation, which declares your glory, brings us. Forgive us, Lord, when we have failed to notice or appreciate the beauty of your world and given you thanks. Thank you, also, for your Word, that endures forever and revives our souls, brings wisdom and joy, and shows us how to walk in righteousness and truth. Thank you for being gentle and gracious with us, for showing us the error of our ways, but at the same time, assuring us of your forgiveness and your steadfast love. Father, lift from us all the burdens we may be struggling under. Remove the cloud that has slipped for some in front of the sun. Heal us. Transform and renew us by your Spirit. And may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you. O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.