As I backed down a driveway one night, I was startled by a loud crash. I had accidentally gone off the driveway and backed the car into a large potted plant, leaving a scratch on the rear bumper. If the car had been my own, it would not have been a big deal. However, this particular car was a rental. I would have to give an account of my mistake to someone else.

In today’s reading, David reminds us that the world we inhabit and everything in it belong to God. We may sometimes act as if our house, car, possessions, or even our bodies belong to us. The reality is that God created everything and everyone. All creation belongs to Him (vv. 1–2). Israel was reminded of this truth every fiftieth year when all debts were canceled and all property reverted back to its original tribal allotment (Lev. 25). They were not the ultimate owners of the land.

In verses 3–4, David reminds Israel that approaching God in worship is not to be done lightly. He outlines two characteristics of an authorized worshiper. We must have “clean hands and a pure heart” (v. 4). That is, we are to be people who have purity in our motives and in our actions. We must also be loyal to the Lord alone. Our trust cannot be in any of the false gods who so easily attract our attention (v. 4). These are the people who can worship the Lord and receive His blessing (v. 5).

The final portion of the psalm calls for the gates of Jerusalem to be prepared to receive the King of glory. Since the whole earth belongs to the Lord, it is appropriate that the psalm ends by anticipating the future coming of the Messiah-King to take up His throne (Matt. 25:31).

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According to the National Solar Observatory, the core temperature of the sun is 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. Every second of every day, the sun releases five million tons of pure energy. Consider that the sun is one of trillions of stars in the sky, which were created when God spoke, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky” (Gen. 1:14).

Psalm 19 celebrates the truth that it is possible for us to know the Creator of the heavens and the earth. One way we can learn truth about God is by opening our eyes and looking at the world around us. Just like a painting can reveal truth about the artist, the stars and mountains, woods and streams reveal truth about the One who spoke them into being. David declares, “Day after day they pour forth speech” (v. 2). The phrase “pour forth” is used of a spring bubbling up out of the ground. It is as if the heavens are bubbling over, jabbering away about God.

In the second half of the psalm, David declares that we can know God through His Word. It is perfect and refreshing to the soul (v. 7). If we had to choose between Scripture and a heap of gold, the obvious choice is God’s Word. In addition to giving us wisdom, joy, and life, it warns us of danger and keeps us from errors (v. 11).

Most people desire money and pleasure. David here proclaims that Scripture meets both needs. The Word of God is sweeter than honey and more precious than gold. David concludes by thinking about his own speech. He recognizes how pure and true the words of Scripture are and prays that his own words will mirror those same qualities (v. 14).

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When I was a child, we used to sing the hymn “Count Your Blessings.” The first verse was, “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed; When you are discouraged thinking all is lost; Count your many blessings, name them one by one; And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” This is very practical advice. When we face discouragement, we need to step back and remember all the ways the Lord has been faithful.

In Psalm 16, David enumerates four gifts of God for which he is grateful. The first is God Himself. He confesses to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing” (v. 2). The fact that God has made a way to be in relationship with His people is a precious gift. In God alone is true joy to be found (v. 11). The second gift David reminds himself of is the gift of being in community with God’s people. He delights in worshiping with fellow believers (v. 3). We were not meant to live the life of faith alone.

The third gift is that of God’s Word. He proclaims, “I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me” (v. 7). This recalls the blessed man of Psalm 1, who meditates upon the Law of the Lord “day and night” (Ps. 1:2). Instead of being overwhelmed by his circumstances, David resolves, “I keep my eyes always on the LORD” (Ps. 16:8).

The fourth gift is David’s hope that God’s faithfulness will extend beyond the grave. He tells the Lord, “You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay” (v. 10). David knows the grave is not the end. His hope is fulfilled in Christ who defeated death in resurrection. As the apostle Paul put it, “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). David’s hope was not in vain.

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