“The rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:9b-11).
Lord, in Psalm 19 we hear about one of your most faithful witnesses: the sky, which never stops communicating to people everywhere about your matchless glory. David pauses to celebrate the witness of the sky’s crown jewel, the sun, which shares its warmth and light with all the world that all who live on it might know your care and love. Lord, we praise you for the cheerful light of sunny spring days, for the beauty of sunset skies, and for all the ways the sun and sky proclaim to us your glory, majesty, beauty, and love.
Yet even more than the sun and sky, your Word is a wonderful witness to us. Yes, we can infer your love and care for us through the fine-tuning of the universe, that it is perfectly designed and crafted to sustain our delicate lives. (We’re not too close to the sun that we’d melt like wax, nor too far that we’d turn into popsicles; we’re not too close that we’d be blinded by its light, nor too far that we’d grope around in utter darkness). Yes, we learn a lot about you from the sun and the sky, but only through your Word do we learn that you loved us enough to die for us. Your marvelous love is much more than giving us light and warmth; it is the gift of yourself, your very life laid down for us.
Your Word is not only the gospel of our salvation, but also the gospel of our transformation. It frees us from the paths of sin so that we might enjoy the far sweeter paths of righteousness. Your Word is a compass that sets us straight, that shows us the way, that leads us back home to You. Truly, O Lord, your Word is sweeter than honey, and more precious than gold.
