Christ Church Daily Devotion Oct 4 2023

This is a Daily Devotion from Christ Church, reading from Psalm 19. It talks about how the heavens and skies declare the glory of God without words, and how the words of the Lord are perfect, trustworthy, and give joy. The psalmist asks for forgiveness and for their words to be pleasing to God. The psalm shows the relationship between God and the psalmist. The reader is encouraged to observe God's handiwork in nature and remember that God loves and cares for them. Welcome to Christ Church's Daily Devotion for October 4th, 2023. Today we will be reading from Psalm chapter 19. 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. 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. 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 the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my rock, and my redeemer. This psalm is timeless. For this autumn day in Chattanooga, the sunrise will be at 7.38 a.m., and the sunset will be at 7.21 p.m. We, too, can echo the psalm writer's joy from the thousands of years ago in observing God's marvelous creation. The heavens and skies still proclaim the glory and handiwork of God. I have loved this psalm since childhood, as verse 14 would often be our prayer before mealtimes. The entirety of this psalm is so deep that it speaks to us in every stage of life and grace. As each sunrise and sunset is new and different, God can lead us to new understandings each time we read this psalm. With this reading, I notice the irony of the thread about words, which runs throughout these verses. In verses 1 through 6, the heavens and skies declare the glory of God to every corner of the earth, even without words. In verses 7 through 10, the words which God has given through the law and instructions are described as more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. These words from God are perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, and sure. The gifts of these words revive the soul, make wise the simple, give joy to the heart, give light to the eyes, endure forever, and are all together righteous. Both the creation and the scriptures speak to who God is and seek to draw everyone to God. Then, in verses 11 through 14, the psalm writer moves us, the readers, to the relationship and words we offer unto God. We, the readers, are moved from acknowledging the greatness of God to the humble psalm writer's plea for God's forgiveness and request for his simple word, prayers to be pleasing in God's sight. The concluding words declare this, God, who has created everything, cares enough to be the psalm writer's rock and redeemer. There is a family-like kinship in the psalmist's words, my rock, my redeemer. Today's personal worship option, take some time today to observe God's handiwork in the heavens and the skies. Perhaps the trees are also beginning to show God's handiwork. This God, who has created the sun, moon, stars, and autumn trees, cares about you too. Beyond that, God loves you. God is great enough to be your rock and your redeemer throughout your lifetime and to hear every prayer you pray.