Meditating on How Psalm 19 Motivates Us to Worship the Lord with All of Creation

Psalm 19 is an absolutely beautiful Psalm. It entails the vastness of God’s glory throughout creation and invites us to join in with their silent song of praise. Today, let’s take a moment and allow Psalm 19 to speak to our hearts and move us into closer relationships with the Lord.

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Psalm 19:1-6

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.”

When we think about the greatness of the skies and the intricate details of every cloud and ray of light, we have only but touched the surface of the creativity and wonder of God. The skies declare that there is a Creator God who fashioned and formed them (Genesis 1:7-8). Their very existence points to Someone greater. Every day and night creation and the skies speak volumes about the Lord without words. Their message of the Lord of Majesty is loud and clear even without physical voices.

When was the last time you created something? Perhaps it was a painting, a song, or a new recipe? As we ponder and reflect on how the masterpiece reflects the Artist, Psalm 19 creates intrigue into how wondrous and sovereign our God truly is. Are your problems seemingly very big right now? Look up in the night. See the grand skies of the night with shooting stars and planets. Look up in the day. See the sun beam its radiant light of warmth as it illuminates the entire world. Look up. Remember that the Lord is greater than anything that we are going through and that He loves us dearly.

When was the last time that you watched a sunrise or a sunset? The sunset is beautiful, but there is something special about when darkness becomes conquered by the light. When we think of our own helpless estates and the devastation of our sin in darkness, we can remember that Jesus came while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) and defeated all darkness, revealing His glorious light. He is the Light of the world. In the imagery of a bridegroom or a champion, we think of the fullness of joy. There is no escaping the light of day. There is no way to miss that the sun has come up. In the same way, the one and only God paints His name across the sky through His creation. The sun itself points to the greater majesty that is the Lord.

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Psalm 19:7-11

silhouette of hillside with dark clouds and rainbow

“The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.

They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.

By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.”

In this portion of Psalm 19, we see a shift from creation to the law of the Lord. To the people of God in the time when this Psalm was written, the law was their gift from God. They were still awaiting the coming Messiah and God Himself wrote the Ten Commandments to give to Moses and the people. This would be similar to how precious our Bibles are to us today. God’s words are sacred and special to all who believe in Him.

This Psalm shares adjectives about how the law is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, firm, precious, and sweet. When we reflect on these words, we see that God’s commandments all come from His love. He refreshes us, makes us wise, gives us joy, and gives us light. The analogy of light from the sun is used right before we see the imagery of God’s law illuminating our lives. Part of the job of light is to reveal what has been hidden in the darkness.

How is God’s Word revealing sin in your life today? How can you take steps of surrender to repent and walk in the light and no longer in darkness? How can you ask the Holy Spirit to fill you up and enable you to walk in ways of the Lord? When we do so, this chapter expresses that there is great reward.

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Psalm 19:12-14

Group of hikers on a summit with arms raised in excitement

“But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

This is another interesting shift from starting at creation. We now see the personal conviction of a repentant heart. How many sins do we commit a day that we do not even have awareness of? The answer is unknown, but I am sure it would be significant.

The author of this Psalm asks God to keep him away from willful sins. We need the help of the Spirit to avoid the sinful ways of our heart and flesh. We daily need to ask the Lord for Him to rule over our sin, and for us to not be overcome by our sinful ways. Just like the sun comes up each day, His mercies are new every morning. Then the Psalmist prays that the words he speaks and the reflections of his heart would be pleasing to God.

What we see is acknowledging the greatness and the glory of God in nature and being in awe of His workmanship of the physical world. Psalm 19 then goes into a time of thanking Him for His law for us sinners. Then, the ending verses ask for help to live by the law of the Lord and to live a life that is honoring to Him.

When was the last time that creation awed you? Were you experiencing the mighty mountains with the patchy clouds below? Were you simply gazing out your home window admiring the radiant fall trees? Whatever has most recently blown your mind in creation, may it point to the glory of the Lord. Then, in all of His greatness and the joy of His handiwork, may we remember that He sent His Son Jesus, His Word, and His Spirit to help us to live like Him. That whether it is the largest creature in creation to the tiniest detail of our lives, the Lord cares. May He be glorified today through His creation, and may His creation remind us that He sees us, He love us, and we have the privilege to be His own.