The Top Shelf: The All-Powerful God — Wednesday
Psalm 19:9
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. (NIV)
I know we’ve read through Psalm 19:1-11 over the last couple of days, but we’re going to read it again through a different lens today. Because, while these verses speak to creation and commands, they also teach us about God. About His character. About how He created us.
I have a friend who was recently reminded by someone close to her that God created each of us in His image and gave us characteristics that are reflections of Him. She said her friend called her and said, “You know what? I realized that you enjoy walks, and Jesus went for walks. Even something like that is a reflection of His joy and who He is.” And she’s right. There are so many great and small things that point to who God is. Creation points to His majesty, His creativity, and His attention to detail. Mankind, among other things, points to His unconditional love, His joy, His kindness, and His ability to discern and make decisions. Scripture points to His character, His wisdom, His intentionality, and His righteousness.
What can we glean from Psalm 19:1-11? God is intentional. He created the heavens and the skies, He created day and night to work exactly the way they do—and none of it by accident. God is wise. He gave us His Word to help guide us to make good decisions and live righteously. God is trustworthy. His instruction is for our good, with the intent to help us live holy lives reflective of Him and His goodness. He is our source of peace (v. 7), He is discerning (v. 7), He is joy-giving (v. 8), He is unwavering and righteous (v. 9), He is all-sufficient (v. 10), and He wants good for us (v. 11).
This righteous, all-powerful God saw fit to not only create us, but to love us and care for us and call us by name. How do we get to know Him better? By spending time in His Word learning more about His character. By allowing Him to be reflected in who we are. And by identifying the Christlike qualities we see in others.
Wednesday’s Reflection
Reflect on all that we’ve learned today about the character of God just in this one chapter of the Psalms. Thank Him for who He is, and ask Him to identify the characteristics of Himself in you.