Responding to God's Word

 

As God reveals Himself to us in the natural world, and then reveals more about Himself in His Word, what is our response to Him?

Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 

 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:12-14, NASB)

David tells us that our response should be to face our sin and ask God to help us overcome it. The Bible that we hold in our hands is not a book that we should speculate about; instead, it is one that we should apply to our lives!

David notes three types of sin here - the first is hidden sins. We humans sometimes don't even realize many of our own sins. God has to reveal them to us, and then with His grace, we can turn away from them.

"Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. (Leviticus 5:17)

One who conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper,
But one who confesses and abandons them will find compassion. (Proverbs 28:13)

Then, David mentions willful sins. Just plain ole, garden-variety disobedience.  Times when you know exactly what God would have you do, and you sit perfectly still and don't do it. Or you shake your head "no" and run in the opposite direction. What is translated "presumptuous" up there is also translated "willful" in the book of Hebrews, and the scholars' books that I consulted said that it was the idea of a "high handed" or arrogant attitude of sin. Just total rebellion against God. 

If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers. (I Samuel 12:14-15)

David didn't want this kind of sin in his life, either, so he prayed for God to deliver him.

Lastly, David was aware that sin lies much deeper than our outward actions. He prayed that the words he spoke and the meditations of his heart would both be acceptable to God. God reveals Himself in His Word and that Word searches our innermost beings. It shows us wrong thoughts that can turn into wrong words and then morph into wrong deeds.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

David called himself God's servant . . . . God called David a man after His own heart . . .if he knew he was so inclined to sin as to pray this psalm, what does that say about each of us? Should we not try to confront our sin with God's Word? Should we not call out to Him and pray for purity? We must let God's revelation, His Word, shine into our hearts and wash away the sin we often try to hide or to ignore.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States, so I will join you again on Friday!