Psalms 19 Heb. 11:3:

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2 Psalms 19 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. What beautiful words of the Psalmist of his observation of day and night. How each day is amazingly designed for it s purpose, day for working and living, and night for man to rest. David marvels at God s wonderful design, how everything is designed perfectly for man s existence on this planet. He realizes that even the day and night speaks of God s majesty, power and awesomeness. He looks around at the wondrous things God created and realizes how God shows Himself to his creation and everyday by what man sees, knowing within himself the things he sees were made and designed by someone greater than himself God, the Creator (Heb. 11:3: By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible ).

3 If you notice it says, by faith we understand νοέω noeó (noy-eh'-o), apprehend, come to a final conclusion or realize that the heavens and earth were formed by God s Word, ῥῆμα, ατος, τό rhéma (hray'-mah), meaning He spoke them into existence. Most people believe there is a higher power, the earth is by grand design, that there is a creator, but few believe the Lord God Almighty of the Holy Bible is that higher power, that grand designer, that Creator, who by His Word spoke the worlds, heaven and earth, into existence. This is the beginning of faith in the Lord; to believe Gen. 1:1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And, all the proceeding verses of creation go on to say, And God said, let there be. It is by faith we believe: Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth. Psalm 33:9 For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood fast. John 1:3 Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. It is by "faith" we believe the truth of the divine declaration and testimony given regarding creation. It is here at the beginning where people first deviate from the truth of God. They want to reason this out, intellectualize, formulate opinions, and try to discover within themselves about creation and God, as if they can rationalize as if there is proof of some historical event that shows them about creation. Our faith let s us simply accept God s declaration and testimony, He told us, He created the heavens and earth, and there is nothing else to rely on by His truth. Believing that God created all things is the beginning of our faith, because it requires a great degree of

4 confidence in God, that His declaration and testimony is true that this vast universe has been brought into existence by His word! We only understand, apprehend, comprehend and realize this truth of creation only from faith, and not from our own reasoning. Our faith makes us know the reality the universe was formed at God s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. So, we then are able to see, the design of nature declares the glory of the Lord, proclaiming to us His wisdom, power, and goodness, that all people are left without excuse. Day and night themselves speak to the wonderful works of God s hands. The changing of day and night is a great proof of the power of God, and calls us to observe, as He tells us in Isa. 45:7: I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. Truth be told, we all know, even the unbeliever knows, that life, each day, testifies to God s splendor, wisdom, awesomeness, power and Glory, and God can be heard and seen in each and everyday. Everything we see, we know was made, even the ungodly are left without excuse. Everyone knows, the things we see must have a Creator who is eternal, infinitely wise, powerful, and good. Creation all about and around us speak to the works of God. It is foolish to think otherwise. Man is without excuse as to why He doesn t worship his Creator. The knowledge of God is innate in in all of us. Rom. 1:19-20 Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God s invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Yet, and still, people do not live to what they believe and know to be true. Most people, if you asked them, if they believe in God, they will say, I

5 believe in God. However, the state of most people are as it is written in Rom. 1:21-23: For although they knew God (or know God exist), they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. People tend to believe that just saying, I believe in God is sufficient in itself. Well Scripture tells us, James 2:19-20: You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds. (works: ἔργον ergon; toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication, an act: deed, doing) is useless? Belief without faith is useless. Belief is only acknowledgment of what s true, whereas faith makes me act upon what s true. The Psalmist at the beginning of Psalms 19 essentially says what Heb. 11:3 tells us: By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. The difference is, the second half of Psalms 19, because of his faith in what he believes, he comes to realize that, Lord I see your splendor, your wondrous works, wisdom and power; thus, how can I neglect to get to know you, and to know you is to know your word, for your word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path (Ps. 119:105). That s why the first half of Psalms 19 he marvels at the wonders of God and the second half he realizes just marveling at what he believes and not seeking the one who created all things is useless belief. So, he knows that if he believes in God, he should diligently seek God, so he goes on and says:

6 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes 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 and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. I should ask myself, how can I believe in God but not seek Him. We as believers should examine ourselves to see if we be in the faith as Scripture says, 2Cor. 13:5: Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? If I neglect God s word, there is my answer. The god of this world operates in the shadows of darkness of ignorance, keeping people blind from the truth of God s word, which is able to set us free from the bondage of his lies. This is why Jesus said, know the truth and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32) free from the enemies lies. We all have heard how know the truth and the truth shall set you free. For many of us this is just a coined phrase, and to the unbeliever, it s just one of those saying of Christians. This is what I call Christianese, meaning, as Christians we parrot this Scripture to one another and to unbelievers, but few of us really understand the true meaning of what Jesus meant. To truly understand John 8:32 we have to look at Heb. 4:12:

7 God s word is sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing asunder bone from marrow, soul from spirit, it s a discerner of the intents and motives of a man s heart. We must come to the truth of ourselves, in that, in each thing we choose to do or say, good or bad, it s rooted in an intent state of a person s mind that directs his/her purpose and acts, and motives something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing the goal or object of a person s action s. For each of us, what we do, who we are, how we are, and the things we do, are all rooted in intent and motive. The sad thing is, most people live their life ignorant to their own intent and motives behind the way they are, what they say, the things they do, and why they do them. Jesus tells us, from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34), and For out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts (Matt. 15:19) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceeds evil thoughts (Mark 7:21). The word heart is καρδία kardia; meaning the thoughts or feelings, figuratively, the mind of a person. So, it s the mind of a person (thoughts and feelings) which are our intents and motives that lead or cause us to do what we do or say. See, when I hear God s Word, it cuts through all the b.s., and lays bear in me my intents and motives behind my actions and words. God s word is meant to do just what it was designed to do, reproof, correct and instruct in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). Each time you hear God s word, the sharpness of it should cut you; you should either be convicted or challenged; truth be told, it should be both, convicted and challenged. If not, you didn t hear it. If I am to have faith in God, I have to have faith in His Word. Therefore, I must believe as it is written in 2 Pet. 1:19-21: We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had

8 its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. As I continue to hear God s Word, the more I come to understand Rom. 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Then I am able to realize why God tells me in Heb. 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. When in my heart I have come to this, I am now able to prove myself of being in the faith, and I no long just say I believe in God, I know have faith in God, putting trust in His word.