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\u201cThe heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands\u2026The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul\u2026May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and My Redeemer\u201d (Psalm 19:1,7,14).

I have a memory of preachers praying the end of our text prior launching their sermons. The memory is probably 40 years old by now. It is a good practice. I use it myself on occasion during a worship service, but more often in my study as I prepare during the week.

Have you ever prayed this prayer? I assume that most of you are not preachers. Still, I ask you this question. Do you pray this prayer?

You see, it is very unlikely that this psalm was originally prayed by a preacher. In the heading before the psalm, it is ascribed to David. Those headings are not considered part of the inspired Word of God; thus, we readily admit they might be wrong. Nevertheless, the psalm is meant to be prayed by all of God's people. That includes you.

It is thus valuable to look back and find out how the final verse of the psalm came to be included. The psalm can easily be divided into three parts. The first is a magnificent song detailing how the natural world exudes with the glory of God. After my meditation on Psalm 18 last week, one wonderful reader wrote that she was struck by the contrast of these two psalms. Both contain creation imagery, but in vastly different ways. We prefer the images of this psalm, but we need both.

If you check out the Belgic Confession, you will discover that Article 2 teaches that the creation is one of the two ways that we get to know God. It takes its cue from Psalm 19 but alludes to Psalm 18 as well. We can learn much of God's grandeur, greatness, creativity, and providential care if we spend time in God's creation and observe it. One gets the impression that this prayer may have come for the experiences of a shepherd leading his sheep and protecting them as he slept under the stars.

Some of us live in the \u2018concrete jungle\u2019 rarely getting out of the city boundaries. Still, if we pay attention, we can God\u2019s creatures, both animal and plants, creeping into this jungle. Is God quietly reminding us that we cannot cement him out of our lives?

The second part of the prayer takes delight in the spoken and written words of God which give direction for life. This psalmist recognized that there are different ways in which we might live. We are always faced with moral choices. This psalmist declares that God's ways are the absolute best. Here we are invited to ponder our own relationship with the Scriptures. Many of us learn to read the Bible as a textbook, as a place to get information. Here, the Word of God is portrayed as a treasure to be enjoyed, savoured, even played with. Always, with an eye to enjoying God himself, to borrow Presbyterian language.

The psalm concludes with a personal reflection on these two great sources for deepening our relationship with God. I believe the conclusion begins with verse 11. Essentially, the psalmist says that he wants his life to measure up to God's standard. Notice that it is only after he has spent time with both God's creation and His Word that he moves to this conclusion. I highly recommend the psalmist's pattern.

The psalmist stands in awe of God. Not just of God's greatness and majesty, but also of God's mercy and grace. He asks for forgiveness and the grace to lead a blameless life. Surely this is a prayer that we all ought to pray.

As you journey on, let Jude\u2019s doxology encourage you:

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy\u2014 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jude 24,25).