August 17 | Psalm 19

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DAILY READING

Psalm 19

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REFLECTION

How is the Law Good?

By Dave Mann

Psalm 19 is often called “Psalm 119 in miniature” because Psalm 19:7-10 shows a deep reverence for the law of God like the much longer Psalm 119. 

However, many Christians can be confused by this reverence for the Law since we know that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by obedience to the law.  How is it then that we, who have placed our trust in Jesus, can say, “The Law of the Lord is perfect”?  Yes, it is true that many of us have mistakenly put our faith in the law, trying to show God how righteous we are.  But that kind of righteousness is never attainable.

We need to learn and relearn many times that we are not saved by what we do but rather by what Christ has done for us.  In grateful response to the Lord for our salvation, we express our deep gratitude by walking in the ways of the Lord, i.e. according to his law.

The law is not bad, except when we try to follow it in our own strength, straining to obey it in order to merit divine approval.  The law is helpful when we understand how the Lord intends us to use the law.  These three ways show how the Lord intends us to live in a proper and healthy relationship with the law.

1. The law helps keep societal wickedness in check.  Not everyone seeks the Lord, and thus we need laws to prevent wanton lawlessness and disorder in our communities.

2. The law shows us that we need a savior.  Since we cannot be saved by obeying the law, we realize that we need someone to rescue us.  His name is Jesus Christ.  Faith in Christ alone brings salvation.

3. Once we are living in relationship with the Lord by faith, we are eternally grateful.  We look to the law to inform us how our lives can be ordered to live out our thankfulness before the Lord.

With that in mind, the law is a beautiful thing – not as a means of salvation but as a guide to show how we can demonstrate our gratitude for salvation in Christ. 

PRAYER

Please let this song, based on verses from Psalm 19:7-10 & 14 (in the KJV), be our prayer today.  The musicians are the Asidors, a lovely Filipino Christian family, currently living in the U.S., but whose music blesses believers all over the world.  Click here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdVKmBiGv4M

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DAVE MANN

I am a Pastor for Internationals (retired) in the UALC community. I am married to Pam, father of four, and grandfather of seven. Pam and I have lived twenty of our years in other countries including France, Cameroon, Haiti, and Morocco. In retirement, we continue to enjoy writing devotionals, learning languages, and teaching English to internationals.