Psalm 19:1, 2 - The Heavens Declare the Glory of God.
Psalm 19:1, 2 - The Heavens Declare the Glory of God.
Psalm 19:1, 2 (NKJV) The heavens declare the glory of God; And
the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And
night unto night reveals knowledge.
Psalm 19:1, 2 (NIV) 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 display knowledge.
OVERVIEW
God reveals Himself in creation (vv. 1-6), in the Scriptures
(vv. 7-11), and in your heart as you worship Him (vv. 12-14). To be
properly "educated" in spiritual things, you must seek to master three
books: the book of nature, the Bible, and the book of humanity. A
scientist studies the book of nature and a psychologist the book of human
nature, but if they ignore God's Book, their conclusions may be wrong.
Keep balanced. All truth is God's truth.
The goal of all study is a knowledge of Jesus Christ and of
yourself. Verses 7-11 tell you what the Bible can do for you if only you
will read it, meditate on it, and obey it. The better you understand
your Bible and obey it, the more you will appreciate God's creation
and the better you will understand yourself and others. God's Word
is the basic book.
Open each day beholding God's glory in Jesus Christ (v. 1).
Enter each day with the devotion of a bridegroom and the determination
of an athlete (vv. 4-5). At the end of the day, what you have done
will please Him (v. 14). [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by
Warren Wiersbe]
INTRODUCTION
Artists are known by their art; musicians are known by their
music. Likewise, God can be known by the universe he created. Psalm
19:1 tells us that the heavens declare his glory and the skies
proclaim his work. The apostle Paul notes that "since the creation of the
world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature
- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been
made" (Romans 1:20). So what can we know of God from his creation? He
is immensely powerful, extravagantly generous and brilliantly
inventive. And he has an amazing flair for beauty. [NIV Once A Day Bible]
COMMENTARY
The heavens have a story to tell. If you go out at night and
look up into the sky, you'll hear the testimony. An unimaginably
awesome Being spoke universes into existence and continues to hold them
in His hand. Even now, He is sustaining the fiery explosion of
gases in stars hundreds of times larger than our sun and farther than
our most powerful telescopes can see. He is moving in the midst of
immense nebulae and galaxies. The enormity of creation is mind-blowing,
the glory of the Creator even more so.
One might think that pondering such vastness would make God
seem distant, but the opposite is true. Contemplating His relational
nature in the context of such dominion is a powerful exercise in
experiencing His Presence. To know that the God of distant galaxies is the
God sitting next to us as we gaze at them makes His nearness all the
more real. To think - this is the God to whom we pray. Is anything
too difficult for Him? Is any problem beyond His reach? No, and our
finite minds learn contentment when we realize an infinite mind is
involved in our lives. We grasp that His ways are beyond our
understanding, and we're okay with that. We trust this King when we perceive
the enormity of His realm.
Are your days filled with His Presence? Do you take long
walks with Him and talk with Him? Do you see Him in the things He has
made? Realize that this vast God is not only with you, He is in you.
Personally, deeply, intimately. Closer than you can imagine.
Father; I can't even begin to comprehend Your greatness and
glory. But who can deal with my concerns more faithfully? Who can touch
my spirit more meaningfully? I'm grateful that the God of an
immense creation is mindful of me and every detail of my life. [The One
Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
Psalm 19 gives us a picture of the glory of God being
revealed in His creation - particularly through heavenly bodies. The
skies are continually speaking of His greatness. And in the middle of
the psalm, the rising sun becomes an illustration for His own
movements.
The Presence of God is like the dawn. When we wake up to the
reality of the Presence, it's like a sunrise in the heart. Every area of
life - circumstances, relationships, responsibilities, plans, and
goals - is seen in a new light. We get new eyes. We see the limitless
possibilities offered by the beginning of the new day. The hidden features of
the landscape are unveiled. The cold night air begins to warm. Dawn
is full of hope.
The" dawn" theme shows up often in Scripture because we crave
newness and God offers it. We're told that God's mercies are new every
morning, and so are His blessings and promises and life. He spoke entire
worlds into being and began a re-genesis with the Cross. "New" is what
He does best.
Whenever you feel stagnant or stuck, ask for the rising of
the Presence to come like the dawn. Petition Him for a new season of
refreshing. Receive new eyes from Him and see the world in a new light. Then
go explore His Kingdom in that light. Try things you haven't tried
before. Pray bigger than you've prayed before. Worship more zealously
than you have before. Expect all things to become new.
Lord, You make all things new. I need refreshing from You. I
need to wake up to a new day in life and see things in a new way.
Give me new eyes, show me new mercies, and take me on new adventures.
[The One Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional by Chris
Tiegreen]
How vital that we pray, armed with the knowledge that God is
in heaven. Pray with any lesser conviction and our prayers are
timid, shallow, and hollow. But when we spend some time walking in the
workshop of the heavens, seeing what God has done, and watch how our
prayers are energized!
Behold the sun! Every square yard of the sun is constantly
emitting 130,000 horse power, or the equivalent of 450 eight-cylinder
automobile engines. And yet our sun, as powerful as it is, is but one minor
star in the 100 billion orbs which make up our Milky Way Galaxy.
But when we hold a dime in our fingers and extend it arm's
length toward the sky, allowing it to eclipse our vision, we block out
about fifteen million stars from our view... By showing us the
heavens, Jesus is showing us His Father's workshop... then He taps us on
the shoulder and says, "Don't worry our Father can handle anything!"
Got something He needs to take care of? Give it to Him! Max
Lucado
CLOSING THOUGHT
How do the heavens declare God's glory? Can they sing? Do the
stars and planets tell tales of God's splendor? You shouldn't be
surprised that the answer is yes. The heavens reflect of the brilliance of
almighty God. And though the trillions of stars in the universe together
are dim in comparison to the magnificence of God, through them we
begin to understand His glory (see Rom. 1:20).
Yet, look at what else displays the handiwork and praise of
God. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, "We are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we
should walk in them." We show the world God's glory when we obey Him -
when we do what He has planned for us.
However, what we must always remember as we serve is that we
reflect His glory. Just as a sculpture exhibits the ability of the
artist, or a poem reveals the skill of a writer - we are merely the
vessels through which His splendor shines (see 2 Cor. 4:7). We praise
Him best when we are just doing as He says - and when we are not
trying to steal the credit for ourselves.
That is why it is so important that we heed Jesus'
instruction in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." That
means the next time God does wonderful things through us, we will
direct all the glory, honor, and praise to Him. After all, He truly
deserves it! [Life Principles SB By Charles Stanley]
MINI-VIDEO DEVOTIONAL ON THIS PASSAGE BY PASTOR SHAWN BOONSTRA:
http://www.itiswritten.com/television/episodes/3233
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040708-0900.html
