May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. - Psalm 19:14
There are lots of things wrong with our world. But there are lots of things right about it, too! The things that are wrong point to the cataclysmic Fall, where arrogant man thought he knew better than God and plunged the world into chaos. The things that are right remind us that the world, tarnished though it is, still bears witness to its superb Creator.
Silently the heavens speak. Without uttering a sound or a word they proclaim mightily the wonders of their Creator. Morning by morning the glorious sun rises and speaks of the relentless faithfulness of a totally reliable God. Evening by evening the stars shine brightly and remind us of his brilliant vastness. To those who have ears to hear and eyes to see, “the heavens tell of the glory of God” (19:1).
But to many the message is indistinct. Silent speaking does not register with them, and wordless messages convey little. So God gave his word. It supplements creation’s revelation and glorification of God. It speaks where creation is silent; it communicates to those to whom the sun says little about God and the stars say nothing about deity. It is “sweeter than honey” (19:10) to those who dip into its riches. There they find truth that revives and encourages, warnings that protect and preserve, instructions that command and direct, and promises that gladden and delight. Scripture speaks, and its very words bring glory to God.
But black print on white paper says little to some, since they are too busy to read, too disinterested to inquire. That’s where you and I come in. God must be glorified and his truth must be broadcast, whether by silent sun and sparkling star, by written word, or by truth spoken and lived out. Humans can do what the word and the creation cannot do—we alone can take the truth and explain it in glowing, vibrant terms that help men to see, and nothing in the world can articulate God’s praise like man.
That is why God equips us to proclaim him in worship, and that is why he commissions us to spread his truth in witness. That is why we must pray, like the psalmist, “May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (19:14). We are his unique mouthpieces, like nothing else on earth!
For Further Study: Psalm 19
Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Men, Copyright ©2000 by Stuart Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
For more from Stuart Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.
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