Psalm 19 continues to connect beautifully to our study of the Ten Commandments, and today I’m going to walk you through memorizing and studying verse 14. First, I encourage you to listen to this verse in the context of the full psalm.
Nuggets of truth can be pulled from even a single verse of the Bible, and here in verse 14, we are given many details about the character of our God and how we should respond to Him. Here’s how I engaged with the verse:
- Copied out the verse and read it aloud. This helped me memorize it! “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
- Circled the word may and added “a request of God” above the word. I noted that this verse is a prayer of a poet long ago but is relevant for me today. I looked at the verse again and recognized that the psalmist was speaking with humility, so I added the word “humble” to my notes and drew a line pointing to the recipient of this prayer (the Lord).
- Underlined O LORD. The name LORD is in uppercase letters here in most translations because it indicates the formal name of God, Yahweh. My response to Him should be one of reverence.
- Highlighted words and meditation. God always hears me and understands the mind and spirit from which my words flow. When I have placed my faith in God, I don’t need to be scared by my inability to flee from Him, the all-knowing, all-seeing God. Rather, I can confess where I fall short of His best thoughts and words, the ones He wants to have characterize me and ultimately reflect His character. And I can ask Him, by the power of His Spirit in me, to refine me into an accurate reflection of Him.
- Drew a mouth with a tongue alongside of my mouth, a red heart around the phrase of my heart, and eyes next to the phrase in your sight. I was reminded that my God is omniscient, knowing everything, including the ponderings of my heart and what I will say next.
- Circled pleasing and noted that God made me for His pleasure.
- Drew a rock around Rock. When I am fixed upon the LORD, I am secure. Yes, hard times will come and I might not feel safe in this world of chaos, but He is holding me fast now and into eternity. I can trust Him.
- Sketched a cross through the title Redeemer. He gave the ultimate sacrifice of His Son to die in my place and take the punishment my sin deserves. I am to respond with praise, thanksgiving, and surrender to Him.
- Put a triangle around the word my, which is used four times in this verse. This is a personal prayer. God is my Rock and my Redeemer. He willingly gave His only Son for me. His affection was for me even before I claimed allegiance to Him. My right response is to live for His glory.
I concluded my look at this verse by repeating the verse as my prayer to my trustworthy God. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
You may choose to study this beautiful prayer of humility and desire in a simpler way (seen above) or in a different way, and I love that! We have different learning styles and pull out different things from God’s Word, which is why studying the Bible in community is such a sweet gift. I’d love to hear how you’re engaging with the words of our Creator God this summer. You can reach me at ufcwomen.blog@gmail.com. May your time in God’s Word be fruitful!