Psalms 19 – 20
Psalm 19: Seeing God
Psalm 19 is so familiar to us. The first six verses talk about the glory of God seen in creation. Verses 7-11 talk about the glory of God and the grace of God revealed in the Word. And verses 12-14 talk about God speakingto our hearts. So we have God revealed in the skies, in the Scriptures and in our own hearts and souls.
Even though creation is in travail because of sin (Rom. 8:22), God’s glory is revealed there. I think it was Emerson who said that if the stars came out only once every thousand years, we’d stay up all night and look at them in awe and in wonder.
“Day unto day utters speech” (Ps. 19:2). One day is talking to the next day. David gave us two pictures of facing the day. The first is like a bridegroom coming out to meet his bride with wonderful hope and love and joy. The second is like a strong man running a race. David was telling us to live a day at a time and to start each day with glory and grace and a goal to be reached.
Unfortunately, some people know only the God of creation. They admire the God of wisdom, power and providence who made everything. But it’s not enough just to know the Creator. You must know God as the Saviour. This is why Psalm 19 talks about the revelation of God in the Word. The Word of God is flawless. You can trust it (v. 9), test it (v. 10) and taste it (v. 10). Do you trust God’s Word? Have you tested and proved it in the furnaces of life? Have you tasted it to find out how sweet it really is?
David closed the psalm by saying we’ve got to have this Word in our hearts. We see God in the heavens, then we see God in teh Word, and then we have God living in our hearts as our Saviour. This reminds me of those Wise Men who came to see Jesus. First, they saw the message up in the heavens. They followed the star. That led them to the Scriptures. The priests told them from the prophets where the Messiah would be born. Then they went and worshiped Him. Don’t just worship the God of creation or the God of revelation. Let Him be the God of salvation in your heart.
Read Romans 1:18-32 to see what happens to those who turn away form God in spite of His revelation in creation. What can you do to help unbelievers see the glory and love of God revealed in your life?
Psalm 20: What Are You Trusting?
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” David wrote that in Psalm 20:7, and the big question he raised is this: “What are you trusting today?” Everybody trusts in something. We think mankind is divided into believers and unbelievers. And as far as our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned, that’s true. But as far as life is concerned, that isn’t true. Everybody believes in something. Some people today are trusting in their wallet or their plastic cards. Some are trusting in their strength or expertise or experience. Everybody has faith in something. In verses 1,2 we read: “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob defend you; may He send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion.” The Christian trusts in the Lord, and he exemplifies this trust by praying
When you and I are in trouble, what we do to solve our problems, what we do to turn our trouble into triumph, is evidence of what we’re trusting. When the day of trouble arrives, one person will reach for his checkbook. He thinks money will solve his problem. Another will reach for the telephone. He looks to a friend to solve his problem. While “some trust in chariots, and some in horses,” we will remember the name of the Lord our God (v. 7). Our faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we are not afraid to let people know about it. “We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners!” (v. 5). In other words, we have no problem waving the banner of faith because He will not fail us.
God’s name is good. Some people don’t have a good name, but God does. “The name of the God of Jacob defend you” (v. 1). What are you trusting today? Take time to trust the Lord. Roll that burden on the Lord. Get your strength from Him. Wave your banner in the name of the Lord, and God will turn that burden into a blessing.
When you face a problem, what or who is the first thing or person you turn to? What does this say about what you’re trusting?
Dr. Warren Wiersbe (1929-2019) was an internationally known Bible teacher, author, and conference speaker. He graduated in 1953 from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. While attending seminary, he was ordained as pastor of Central Baptist Church in 1951 and served until 1957. From September 1957 to 1961, Wiersbe served as Director of The Literature Division for Youth for Christ International. From 1961 to 1971 he pastored Calvary Baptist Church of Covington, Kentucky south of Cincinnati, Ohio. His sermons were broadcast as the “Calvary Hour” on a local Cincinnati radio station. From 1971 to 1978, He served as the pastor of Moody Church in Chicago 1971 to 1978. While at Moody Church he continued in radio ministry. Between August 1979 and March 1982, he wrote bi-weekly for Christianity Today as “Eutychus X”, taught practical theology classes at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and wrote the course material and taught a Doctor of Ministry course at Trinity and Dallas Seminary. In 1980 he transitioned to Back to the Bible radio broadcasting network where he worked until 1990. Dr. Wiersbe became Writer in Residence at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids and Distinguished Professor of Preaching at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. In his lifetime, Dr. Wiersbe wrote over 170 books—including the popular Be series, which has sold over four million copies. Dr. Wiersbe was awarded the Gold Medallion Lifetime Achievement by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).
