To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving 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 rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
This psalm of David has three sections.
The first focuses on how the glory of God is evident in the heavens which continually speak as evidence of a creator. There is no part of the world that is not exposed to their message. In the heavens, God has placed the sun which comes out in the morning like a bridegroom radiant after leaving his room. It follows the circuit God has set for it across the sky like a runner running with joy. No one is able to miss the warmth it produces.
The second section focuses on God’s word and all the qualities and benefits it provides. God’s word is a sure thing that does not change and can be completely trusted to provide everything we need to live lives that honour God. God’s word is something to be desired, treasured, and followed because obeying God’s word keeps us from trouble and provides great reward.
The final section looks inward. We cannot always recognise all our sinfulness because it is so much a part of who we are. We need God, through His word, to reveal them to us. We also need God’s word to help us to stay away from committing intentional sin, to keep us focussed on right so we don’t stray into doing wrong. God’s word leads us to Jesus who is the only One who can deal with our sin problem. He provides forgiveness from all our sins and He gives us His Spirit to help us walk blamelessly.
When we live in recognition that God is the God of the universe and spend regular time in His word then the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart will be acceptable in His sight.