How Can One Book Change My Life?
PSALM NINETEEN
In this lesson you will learn about God revealing Himself to us in the world through His Word in natural and special revelation.
OVERVIEW
After captivating an audience at Yale University, the late novelist, Ayn Rand, was asked by a reporter, “What’s wrong with the modern world?” Without a moment’s hesitation, she replied,“Never before has the world been so desperately asking for answers to crucial questions and never before has the world been so frantically committed to the idea that no answers are possible. To paraphrase the Bible,” said this agnostic, “The modern attitude is ‘Father forgive us for we know not what we are doing and please don’t tell us.’ ” Pretty perceptive statement for an acknowledged agnostic.
Many of us would criticize her but we must be careful because if we’re honest, we would all admit that there is a part of us that does want a word from God, but we’re really not sure we want the Word of God. We know enough to own a Bible, but not enough for a Bible to own us. We pay the Bible lip service, but we fail to give it life service.
But God has not left us without answers. He has revealed Himself to us. Isn’t that incredible! There is not a better testimony of God’s love for His people than Psalm 19. In this majestic Psalm, we learn how much God has loved us and how he has revealed Himself to us. In the skies we see His glory. In the Scripture we see His greatness, and in our soul we sense His grace.
So I want you to walk with me through the words of this Psalm as we ask ourselves the question, “How could one book change my life?
In the Skies We See His Glory
Before we get to that book, we need to walk past the revelation of God’s glory in the skies.
Undeniable Message
Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalm 8 talks about the moon and the stars. Some have called this the night Psalm. Psalm 19 talks about the sun in the heavens. It’s been called the day Psalm. Whether it’s night or day, God speaks through His creation. This revelation is an undeniable message. In the heavens and in the firmament He has shown forth His handiwork. The word firmament really means the expanse of God’s creation. It’s as if God has written in the sky, everywhere you look, a finger that points back to the Creator. No matter where you go in this great universe, all you have to do is look up and see an undeniable testimony to the Creator, God.
Unending Message
Not only is this revelation of God in the skies an undeniable message, it is also an unending message. It says “Night unto night and day unto day, God showeth forth His power.” It’s like the day takes the glory of God and hands it off to the night and the night lets it shine, and when it’s finished it hands it back to the day. So whether it’s day or night, God is always sending out the message that He is the powerful Creator of the world.
Universal Message
Not only is it undeniable and unending, but it is universal. “There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world” (verses 3–4). In the New Testament book of Romans, Paul is trying to demonstrate in Chapter 1 that all of the world is guilty before God. One of the most often asked questions is “What about the people who have never heard of Jesus in Africa or India where the gospel has not been spoken.” Paul said in Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” His eternal power is evident, so they are without excuse. In cultures where people have tried to worship the sun and the stars, they have come to the realization that there has to be something beyond that— something behind it. And in their searching for the truth behind creation, God has brought them an evangelist with the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Paul is saying that there is enough revelation in God’s creative work. If man would just follow the revelation God has given him, it would take him to the knowledge of who God is.
The Psalmist wants us to understand that God has spoken in the skies and told us the story of His glory. Not only is it an undeniable message and an unending message, but it is universal—it is everywhere. In fact, I love what the Psalmist has said, “Their line has gone throughout all the earth and their words to the end of the world.” This is the surveyors line—the Psalmist gives us the picture of the surveyor surveying all the world. When he finished surveying all the world, there was not one place where God’s testimony and His creative work had not been preached.
In the Scripture We See His Greatness
In Psalm 19:7, the Psalmist switches gears from talking about the creation to talking about the written word.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether” (verses 7–9).
The six titles in these verses tell us of the majesty of God’s Word: the law, the testimony, the statute, the commandment, the fear and the judgements. After each title, we find six descriptions. Read through that text again and you’ll discover the Bible described in six ways: perfect, sure, right, pure, clean and true. The last six expressions tell us what the Bible does. The Psalmist says the Bible will refresh your inner life, like food does you body. The one thing the Bible will deal with is your soul. It will deal with the real you, not the external facade you walk around in, but the real you. It will get down deep into where you live and help you understand who you are. This Book will refresh you and restore you. Sometimes there is a little bit of tearing down first, isn’t there? Sometimes the Bible has to tear out all that is bad so it can begin to build up that which is good. But I promise this Book will restore your soul.
The Indestructibility of God’s Word
Down through the centuries, the Bible has always been hated and scorned by God’s enemies. Men have gone out of their way to abolish it. But Voltaire’s satire and Ingersoll’s slander, Hitler’s soldiers, and Bishop Pike’s skepticism have all become human hammers broken on the anvil of God’s Word.
There have been some “heroes” of God’s Word. William Tyndale devoted his life to spreading God’s good news. He translated it, printed it, and distributed it. In the midst of the great distribution under Tyndale, the King got angry and wanted to get the Bibles out of circulation. He sent a friend to buy all the Bibles Tyndale had printed. “Whatever it takes, buy them and destroy them.” The friend talked Tyndale out of the Bibles in spite of Tyndale’s exorbitant price. The king’s friend paid it, took the Bibles, and destroyed them. With the money from the Bibles, Tyndale bought materials to print 30 times as many Bibles, and distributed them all over the country. When the King discovered more Bibles, he asked where Tyndale had gotten the funds to do this. His friend said, “You paid for it—you bought the Bibles and he distributed them.”
Isn’t that great! The Bible, defiantly, victoriously, convincingly, still stands. Its pages continue to proclaim the grace of God and the message remains the only inerrant, infallible, complete revelation man has ever received from his living God.
In Our Souls We Sense His Grace
If what I am telling you is true, why wouldn’t we want to get our hands and our hearts into His Book? There is something special about this Book. Read on and you will see it. “More to be desired are they than gold, Yea than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.”
You talk about a guarantee! That’s sort of like what is written on the bottom of an expensive product. It says there’s great possession in the Bible for those who will discover it, for gold is good and fine gold is better and much fine gold is better yet, but God’s Word is better than much fine gold. It’s better than the best. And there is great pleasure in the Bible for those who will seek it. Honey is good and the drippings of the honeycomb are very sweet, but the Word of God is sweeter still.
There is great protection in the Bible. For those who will believe it, the Word of God not only encourages us, it warns us, it constrains us and restrains us—it opens doors before us and closes doors against us.
There is great profit in the Bible for those who will obey it. In the keeping of it there is great reward, not in the future only but even here and now.
How Can One Book Change My Life?
Good question. The answer really is a matter of changing your mind—or at least changing the way your mind thinks. When God’s Word is what “programs” your mind, its truths will change every area of your life. It will change your family, it will change your spiritual life, and your professional life. All the problems that you face will have a new picture, a new twist and you can come to understand what the Psalmist meant when he wrote about the treasure of God’s Word. In fact, he ended his Psalm with this prayer, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” Do you know how the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart can be acceptable to the Lord? It’s right here. Just get in the Book. Make it yours, study it, meditate upon it, make it a purpose in your life and you can be sure that the meditation of your heart will be acceptable to God. This Book can change your life.
APPLICATION
1. Refresh your memory on the creation account in Genesis 1. As you read, marvel at God’s creative handiwork.
Now read Romans 1:18–2:2.
How are people who have not heard the words of the gospel still responsible before God to know of His existence?
How would you respond to a challenge of this passage from a nonbeliever?
2. Psalm 119 is a psalm devoted to praising the Lord for His Word. In each verse, the Psalmist mentions “God’s Word” with a title and description. On the following pages, divide the Psalm into “bite-size” pieces and study what “God’s Word” is and does in the life of the believer.
3. What are the benefits of obeying God’s Word found in the following verses?
Psalm 25:14
Psalm 25:21
Psalm 32:7
Psalm 119:88
4. Did you know that the average American watches television an average of 35 hours every week? Did you also know that you can read the whole Bible in 72 hours? Make a decision that you’re going to read the Bible every day. Plan a specific time and place to carry out your commitment. Write down your commitment:
5. The following verses correspond with Psalm 19:7–11. Read the verses and match them with the study of David’s discussion of what the Word does in our soul.
Proverbs 12:6
Psalm 30:5
Psalm 119:9
Isaiah 40:8
Romans 10:17
6. The Psalmist David closes Psalm 19 with a prayer (verse 14). He asks the Lord to guard his words and his thoughts.
Read Philippians 4:8. How do these two verses compare?
Why would Philippians 4:8 answer Psalm 19:14’s prayer?
7. How does God use His Word to work in the heart of the believer?
Read and meditate on the following verses. Ask the Lord to multiply His blessings in your life as you seek Him in His Word.
Psalm 63:1
Colossians 3:16
1 Thessalonians 2:13
2 Timothy 2:15
2 Timothy 4:2
Hebrews 4:12
DID YOU KNOW?
Voltaire, one of the great critics of the Word of God, made a prediction in his lifetime. He said by the time he died the Word of God would be stamped off the face of the earth. It would never be heard of and it would be looked upon as an ancient, antiquated book of literature. Thirty years after Voltaire’s death, the World Bible Society bought his home, put presses in his home and printed the Bible in Voltaire’s house.
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