READ: PSALM 19; JOHN 1:1-14

Psalm 19 is a psalm of praise and a wonderful description of God’s magnificence. It opens with a declaration of the glory of God’s creation, which speaks a language that is universal to all. The heavens and the earth proclaim God’s majesty and creative power. Looking at creation gives us a tangible glimpse of the majesty and glory of God.

The psalm then switches gears and talks about delighting in the “law of the LORD” (verse 7). The writer, David, expresses how perfect God’s ways are, what wisdom can be found in following God, and what joy it can bring us. The law of the Lord is a guide for our lives, helping us and teaching us that God and His ways are more valuable than all earthly riches and pleasures.

Psalm 19 concludes with a response from David. He reflects on his own shortcomings and his need for forgiveness and God’s help. We all need God’s grace and help, both in avoiding unintentional sins and in resisting temptations to sin willfully. David’s concluding prayer expresses his desire that his words and the thoughts of his heart be pleasing to God, our Creator and Redeemer.

Psalm 19 reminds me of the opening verses in the gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word is Jesus Christ. He was there at the beginning, and the heavens declare His glory. John goes on to say that “through him all things were made…In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (verse 3-4). Christ is God’s Word made flesh, the only one to follow the law of the Lord perfectly, and the only one who can provide the forgiveness we all need through His death and resurrection.

If we know Christ, we have been redeemed. We are a part of God’s wonderful creation, and like “the heavens declare the glory of God; [and] the skies proclaim the work of his hands,” we get to point to Christ and shine His light in the darkness. • Stephanie Mathews

• Have you ever seen something beautiful in creation that led you to praise God? What was that like?

• How is the way we point to God similar to how nature points to God? How is it different?

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV)