June 9 | Psalm 19

Pam Mann
Jun 9
3 min read

DAILY READING

REFLECTION

From the Heavens to the Human Heart

By Pam Mann

My first memories of attending worship as a child include a version of Psalm 19’s final verse: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of each heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. Prior to each sermon, our pastor prayed that prayer. I recall marveling that God could be both in the mouth of the preacher and in the heart of each listener to assure that His Word found root in our lives.

Psalm 19 celebrates that very precious power of God’s Word delving intimately into a human life. God’s law refreshes the soul. His statutes make slow-learners wise. His precepts gladden the heart. His commands enlighten the eyes. That’s a lot of transformative power, readily accessible whenever we commit to obedience to God’s Word.

Moreover, the context that God gives us for living in daily renewal through His Word is itself a panorama of praise. 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. Wordlessly, the heavens declare creation’s awe for her Creator. This same awe we get to express with our mouths speaking, praying, and singing.

Imagine a young shepherd boy pondering the words of the Torah that he’d recited for as long he could remember. He’d been carefully taught God’s Law by his parents and elders in Bethlehem. Every morning walking into the fields, calling the family sheep after him, he

would consider how the words of the scroll guide the steps of his feet. Was there one particularly massive boulder he saw each morning as he led out the family sheep? As his mind played the words of the Torah in his head, did he see that enormous dauntless rock as a picture of God’s might and presence in a human life? Did the splendor of the sunrise wordlessly shout to him the glory of our Creator? Did a bird song or the bleating of sheep suggest to him a tune or a rhythm that fit the phrases forming in his head? What a profound combo: the bounteous beauty of the dawn, the intimate impact of God’s Word tenderly taught, and the opportunity to live this day savoring its reality!

That same opportunity is ours today. Whether in the stunning splendor of golden hues streaking the sunrise or in the calm starry twinkling of the midnight sky, the heavens continue to declare God’s glory. As we ponder and practice God’s Word in our daily routines, we, like the shepherd boy of long ago, can also experience an unearthly refreshment. We too can encounter the Rock, our Redeemer.

PRAYER

Open our eyes and ears, Lord, to see and hear how creation praises You. Our hearts and minds to be transformed by the power of Your Word and Your intimate presence. You are the Rock of our salvation and of our ongoing transformation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAM MANN

I first joined UALC when my husband (then my fiancé) and I were college students involved in youth ministry. God has used UALC to nurture our family’s faith, even in our years outside the U.S. I’ve participated in UALC ministries with kids, art, prayer, exercise, ESL, and Bible teaching. I do all the fun church things.