Oh, how marvelous is God’s creation!
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Oh, how marvelous is God’s creation!

by on June 02, 2019

1 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 reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
–Psalm 19:1-4

Oh, how marvelous is God’s creation! How many wonders can we find there? Could we ever cease to be amazed by creation in a lifetime of study? The psalms are full of declarations like this. As I have spent time outdoors these past few months—whether mowing or camping or walking with my family—I have been pondering these psalms. There is so much to see and take in, from trees, to dirt, to bugs, to birds… It has been wondrous.

However, as I sit in my office away from the wonders of nature, David’s words in Psalm 19 strike me in a different way. David’s enjoyment of the world is only the first part of the psalm. Verses 5-13 talk about the law of the Lord, with statements like:

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,  refreshing the soul.
8 The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
–Psalm 19:7-8

I believe that the structure of this psalm encourages us to see a deeper meaning. Verses 1-4 speak of the silent “words” of nature, how they reliably go throughout the world and declare God’s glory. Verses 5-13 are the laws—the perfect words of God. These words are trustworthy and they build up and refresh. But verse 14?

14 May these words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
–Psalm 19:14 [emphasis added]

Our words are, too often, considered small and insignificant. We speak them hastily and carelessly. But David is not content with this, and we should not be either. May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord! Let us bring You glory with everything we say and do! Let our words be so spoken that they refresh the soul of everyone we meet.

God’s Peace, Pastor Josh Reifsteck

Keywords: Creation, Word, Law, Nature, Glory