Psalm 19
(1) The Heavens declare the Glory of God; the Skies proclaim the Work of His hands.
(2) Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
The sky and the sun, moon, stars and planets are all displayed before us all, no matter where we are in the world, we can see them.
(3) There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
(4) Their voice goes out into all the Earth, their words to the ends of the world.
No matter what the culture or language, no one in the world has ever denied that they are there, but looked at them, studied them, wrote stories about them and wondered about them.
In the Heavens He has pitched a tent for the Sun,
(5) which is like a Bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
(6) It rises at one end of the Heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
The sun is our star, the mighty light that gives life to our world. It rises in the East and sets in the West, and always returns each morning to rise again; it gives heat and light to every part of this Earth, as regular as clockwork. (All our time-keeping systems are based on the Sun's relationship with the Earth.)
(7) The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
(8) The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
(9) The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.
God's Law, Statutes, Precepts, Commands and Ordinances are all His rules for living, like the Manufacturer's instructions, so we can know what to do, how to behave in this life for our best benefit. He is our Maker, and whether we believe in Him or not, He has put everything together so that if we follow His instructions we will have a good life in this world. Also, though, This "Fear of the Lord" is a reverential awe of God's greatness, power and authority as the Creator and Owner of us, our world and all the Universe; and He always will be. We enter into a much deeper, more satisfying appreciation when we acknowledge who God is and His roles in everything that happens.
(10) They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
These rules are worth more than all the resources of this world, because in following them we can not only have these worldly resources, but will also enjoy deep, satisfying relationships with our loved ones, and we will come to know God in a personal, intimate way, realizing how much He loves us and wants to meet all our needs, and has, in fact, met our most pressing, urgent needs already.
(11) By them is Your servant warned; in keeping them is great reward.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Not knowing these rules, or knowing them and not following them, leaves me liable to suffering adverse consequences; but if I do follow them, then I can expect to experience prosperity, not only in finances and worldly things, but also in my relationships with my family members and friends and with God.
(12) Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Even David realized that he may be in denial of parts of his character that would fall short of God's expectations of him, and asks for cleansing of these attitudes.
(13) Keep Your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.
He asks God to help him make good decisions, right choices, and not deliberately do anything that he knows is not right, knowing that a bad choice made repeatedly will become a bad habit, and is addictive.
Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
David wants to live a right, righteous life, making wise decisions, and choosing to do what is right in every situation.
(14) May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Now he is asking that all these thoughts and the words he has written in this song all be according to God's Truth, and that this teaching will cause God to smile upon him, in helping others also know God better and realize how good God is in giving us His rules for living this life.
O my Father, I also join my prayer with David's in this Psalm, that Your rules are perfect, they energize my psyche; they are trustworthy, teaching me wisdom; they are right, putting the Joy of the Lord in my heart; they are radiant, enlightening the eyes of my understanding; they are pure, sure to stand forever; they are precious, in that they will always be right with no shades of gray; and they are sweet, truly sweeter than the sweetest substances we have that we use in our food. They affect every realm of living in a most positive way, making everything pleasant and enjoyable. And they will last forever, through all eternity, as we spend forever learning more and more of how good You are as our God, how extensive is Your love, how perfect is Your judgment, Your wisdom, knowledge, power, authority, and graciousness.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
