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The Word of God says:

Psalm 19:8 (NASB)
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we continue to look at the individual verses from this Psalm that gives us directions for living in this world to please our Lord, and to receive directions for reaching our heavenly home.

This world is not our home.  The bible says that we are just strangers down here. God has a place, and the bible says it is a prepared place, and that is our permanent home.

Psalm 119:19 (NASB)
¹⁹ I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.

John 14:2 (NASB)
² “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

The bible is God’s instructions book for living in this world. Our focal verse says, “The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart”, and “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes”.

As pilgrims in a strange land we need the guidance and directions that the bible provides to be able to make it safely to our heavenly home. It requires more than a casual or a one time reading to get the benefit that the bible provides for living life in a manner that will get you to God’s intended destination. It takes reading, studying, meditating, and obeying the Word of God.

James 1:22-25 (NASB)
²² But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
²⁴ for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
²⁵ But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the bible. It is such a precious book that You have written to give directions and guidance to Your children. Today we have seen how it rejoices the heart and enlightens the eyes.

Yesterday, we saw how it restores our whole life and how it gives wisdom for living a holy life in the unholy world in which we are strangers.

Father God, I thank You that You have not left us alone to learn and understand what this book says. As we also saw in yesterday’s lesson that You have given us the Holy Spirit to be our teacher and helper. Imagine a private tutor at no cost to us. What a blessing and what a helper He is in my life.

In The Sweet By and By (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis2/byandby.html

The Word of God says:

Psalm 19:7 (NASB)
⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

My reflections on the Word of God:

In this verse the name given to the Word of God is law and testimony. The name law means the Word of God is perfect and without fault. It can change the lives of those who read it and obey it.

The ministry of the law is to change the whole person. It restore the soul, it makes you into the person that God intended you to be.

The name testimony is a sure revelation of who God is, what He has said, what He has done, and what He wants us to do. The testimony is sure. Therefore, if you believe it you will receive what God promises in His Word.

The simple referred to in this passage are those who with childlike faith believe what God says in His Word.

Matthew 11:25 (NASB)
²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the Word of God, which is perfect and sure.

Father God, I pray that I might have the childlike faith that believes the Word so that I might receive all of the promises that You make in the Word regarding Your born again children.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 (NASB)
¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
¹⁷ so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Holy Bible, Book Divine (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/o/holybibl.htm

The Word of God says:

Psalm 19:7-9 (NASB)
⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

My reflections on the Word of God:

In today’s focal passage the Psalmist describes the Word of God.  In this description of the Word he uses six names. Those six names are: law, testimony, precepts, commandment, fear, and judgment.

Also included in this description of the Word of God are six qualities of God’s Word. These six are perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true.

Then the Psalmist gives six ministries of the Word of God. Following each name and quality of the Word of God, the Psalmist points out what the Word of God will do in the lives of those who read it, meditate upon it, and obey it.

Psalm 12:6 (NASB)
⁶ The words of the Lord are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.

Proverbs 30:5 (NASB)
⁵ Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You that we have the Word of God in a language that we can read and understand.

Father God, I thank You for the Holy Spirit, who You have sent to be our teacher, and the one who is able to help us to understand Your ways and do Your will.

John 14:16 (NASB)
¹⁶ “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;

John 16:13 (NASB)
¹³ “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

How Firm a Foundation (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/f/hfirmafo.htm

The Word of God says:

Psalm 19:1-6 (NASB)
¹ The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
² Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.
³ There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard.
⁴ Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
⁵ Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
⁶ Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

My reflections on the Word of God:

What we see in the Psalm is what David saw when he looked at His world. David did not have the resources that are available today to look at the universe. However, what he saw was mind stretching, inspiring, and comforting.

When David looked at the wonders of creation he saw the hand of the creator. What David saw convinced him of the wisdom of the creator to plan creation, and the almighty power required to execute His plan. Additionally He has the staying power to sustain His creation.

The Psalmist was able to read from the book of creation, and what He saw was what the creator had done with His hands and with His words. The miracle is that the book of creation is a wordless and silent book.

Jeremiah 10:12 (NASB)
¹² It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.

Romans 1:19-20 (NASB)
¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the wonders of creation. Father God, I praise and thank You for the wonders that You have created with Your hands and with Your words.

Father God, I delight to sing Your praises, and for the faith to worship the creator rather than the creation.

This Is My Father’s World (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh144.sht

The Word of God says:

Psalm 8:1-9 (NASB)
¹ O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
² From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
⁴ What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
⁵ Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
⁶ You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
⁷ All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field,
⁸ The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
⁹ O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we conclude our meditation on Psalm 8. This Psalm begins and ends with an adoration of God. In this Psalm the Psalmist sets to music the creation story of the handiwork of Almighty God.

In this Psalm David extols in brief and beautiful language the magnificence of God. It begins and ends with praise for the majesty of the Lord our God.

Psalm 104:24 (NASB)
²⁴ O Lord, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions.

Job 11:7 (NASB)
⁷ “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I delight to be able to add my voice to that of David and the saints of the ages in exalting the majesty of Your most holy and righteous name.

Father God, there is none like You in the heavens above or in the earth below. I am so grateful to be able to return to You the praise of my lips that expresses the joy that is in my heart.

Majesty (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/3819/lyrics_majesty.htm

The Word of God says:

Psalm 8:6-8 (NASB)
⁶ You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
⁷ All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field,
⁸ The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Yesterday’s passage concluded on a very high note. The Sovereign God created man in His image, and crowned him with glory and majesty.

Psalm 8:5 (NASB)
⁵ Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!

 In today’s passage we see how God honored man further by sharing His dominion with him.

Genesis 1:26 (NASB)
²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:28 (NASB)
²⁸ God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Man lost this dominion when Adam the first man sinned. However, Jesus, the last man, the perfect image of God, regained that dominion with His redemptive work that culminated on the cross.

Colossians 1:15 (NASB)
¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Galatians 2:20 (NASB)
²⁰ “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the amazing grace of God that made it possible that by faith in Jesus I have been redeemed.

Oh what a wonderful day that it was when on the cross at Calvary Jesus shed His precious and royal blood to wash away my sins; past, present, and future are all covered by the blood.

Because Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished”, I can say at the foot of the cross, “I am redeemed”.

I Am Redeemed by Jesse Dixon (Click on link below to watch and listen):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fo–nKkV6s

The Word of God says:

Psalm 8:1-5 (NASB)
¹ O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
² From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
⁴ What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
⁵ Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today our focus moves to verse five. In this verse I favor the “lower than God” versus the “lower than angels” of the KJV and “heavenly beings” of the NIV.

The psalmist understood both the insignificance of man, and the value of man. Man was made of the dust of the earth; hence he or she is an earthen. However, earth is only a temporary abode for man. God made man to dwell in heaven.

Genesis 1:26-27 (NASB)
²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
²⁷ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

 God has purposed for man to reign with Him in heaven. Consider the role that God has assigned to the angels. Now, compare it to the role He has assigned to man.

Hebrews 1:14 (NASB)
¹⁴ Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

1 John 3:1-3 (NASB)
¹ See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
² Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
³ And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the privilege of being a child of God. Your great love for man that You made out of dirt is beyond comprehension with the human mind. However, by the gift of faith that You have given to us, we can believe Your Word, and accept Your gifts.

My Savior First of All (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.biblestudycharts.com/SH_My_Savior_First_of_All.html

The Word of God says:

Psalm 8:1-4 (NASB)
¹ O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
² From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
⁴ What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we reflect again on verse four. In our reflection today we note two ways in which God relates to His children.

First, the psalmist says that He takes thought of His children. In the Book of Beginnings, Genesis, we see the first instance of God’s interest in man.

Genesis 8:1 (NASB)
¹ But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided.

I am so glad that there is a God in heaven who remembers His people. If He remembers Noah, and all of the animals that were in the ark with him, I know He will remember you and me.

Second, the psalmist says that God cares for His children. The following passages illustrate how much God takes interest in and care for His children.

Psalm 65:9 (NASB)
⁹ You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it; The stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth.

Genesis 50:24 (NASB)
²⁴ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.”

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful that You are a God who is attentive to and who cares for Your children.

Father God, it is strengthening to my faith, and comforting to my heart to know that I am in such good hands.

God Will Take Care of You (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.biblestudycharts.com/SH_God_Will_Take_Care_of_You.html

The Word of God says:

Psalm 8:1-4 (NASB)
¹ O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
² From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
⁴ What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we continue our reflection on Psalm 8 with the focus on verse four. In this verse the Psalmist compares the immensity of the universe that God has created with the insignificance of man. It is a comparison of sheer size and of significance.

What is man? This is the question of the ages. David was not the first to ask this question, and he will not be the last.

Psalm 144:3 (NASB)
³ O Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him?

Job 7:17-18 (NASB)
¹⁷ “What is man that You magnify him, And that You are concerned about him,
¹⁸ That You examine him every morning And try him every moment?

The heart of the matter is not so much the insignificance of man, but the goodness, the graciousness, and the condescension of God.

Isaiah 57:15 (NASB)
¹⁵ For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.

Romans 11:33 (NASB)
³³ Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I bow in adoration and praise when I think about the depth of Your grace and mercy.

Father God, Your ways are indeed mysterious, but Your grace is real. Lord, You are the foundation of my faith. You are the solid rock on whom I stand.

This My Plea (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/h/i/thismypl.htm

The Word of God says:

Psalm 8:1-3 (NASB)
¹ O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
² From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we add another verse from this Psalm of David. In verse one we saw the majesty of God. In verse two we saw the strength of God. Today we come to verse three. In this verse we see God as the creator. In this verse David demonstrates that he believes in the God of the bible.

The Psalmist looked at the great work of creation, and he saw the creation of the universe as the work of God. He saw creation as being the work of God’s fingers. How great is our God?

Genesis 1:1 (NASB)
¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Psalm 33:6 (NASB)
⁶ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

The vastness of the universe is undeniable. But even greater than the vastness of the universe is the fact that God is the creator of it all.

Isaiah 40:12 (NASB)
¹² Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, when we look at the universe with its unfathomable dimensions, we stand in awe of what You have done. I stand in amazement of how You did it. When we look further into Your Word we see the hand of Jesus, Your only begotten Son, and my Savior and Lord.

Colossians 1:16-17 (NASB)
¹⁶ For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
¹⁷ He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.biblestudycharts.com/SH_Praise_To_the_Lord.html