He is risen! He is risen indeed.
Each year Easter invites us to celebrate the miraculous resurrection of Jesus from the dead—and with Him, the resurrection of every believer in Christ! Because Jesus lives, we too receive new life when we put our trust in Him (Romans 6:4).
But the truth is, sometimes we don’t feel “alive” at all. Even though we’ve been made alive in Christ, sometimes we just feel dead. Even longtime believers in Christ wrestle with feelings of apathy, of “blah-ness,” and of numbness. And despite being in the faith, our sin (and the sin around us) often weighs us down, leaving us feeling shackled by the death sin brings to our lives: disappointment, negative consequences, shame, and guilt.
Praise God, He provides vital nourishment to feed our souls and nurture the new life that is ours in Christ through His Word. Regular interaction with the Bible—through reading Scripture, memorizing it, meditating on it, cherishing it, and living it—supports our love for God and others, the hallmark of our new life in Christ (1 John 3:14).
The good news is that when we regularly read, study, and live God’s Word, we’ll not only feel alive in Christ—we’ll thrive.
The Life-Giving Power of Scripture
There’s just one problem: for many of us, even though we know Bible study is good for our souls and will bring us life…we forget. We get busy. We allow other things of this world to feed us instead of God’s Word—and then wonder why we feel sick, empty, and dead inside. Sometimes, a fresh look at how Bible study revives our souls is just what we need to come back to God’s Word and find life in Him again.
Psalm 19 is a psalm of David that focuses on God’s revelation to humanity—His testimony about Himself through creation and through the inspired Word of God. As David considers God’s revelation, he stands in awe of Scripture and lifts it high as the means by which God revives our hearts and strengthens our roots in Him. Even though David knows our adherence to the Word will not be perfect, and we’ll sin and seek forgiveness along the way, he praises God for giving us the Bible to guide us and nourish us on the journey of faith.
Let’s consider Psalm 19 and see how God’s Word draws us near to Jesus—our source of life, joy, and strength.
God’s Revelation in Creation: The Beauty of God’s Handiwork
Psalm 19:1-6 focus on God’s revelation through creation. In these verses, David looks in wonder at God’s handiwork and marvels:
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
Although creation does not have a physical voice, its message rings out loud and clear—God is powerful, wise, and beautiful. He is worthy of worship! When we enjoy a sunset or climb a mountain and survey the earth below, God’s creation lifts its voice, pleading with us to pay attention to God’s beauty and splendor—and to acknowledge His glory and authority. The crash of waves upon the shore, the nip of a winter’s day on our nose, butterflies flitting from plant to plant, and indeed every part of the created world heralds God’s majesty and invites us to bow to Him in worship and reverence.
Yet the created world, as clear as its testimony is, is limited in its ability to detail all of God’s glory and purposes for humanity.
God’s Revelation in His Word: The Benefits of Scripture
So in Psalm 19:7-11, David shifts his attention to God’s Word—His special revelation to humanity. His heart overflows with praise for Scripture and its benefits:
The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts 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 rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, and righteous altogether—these are the words David uses to describe God’s Word. Do they remind you of anyone you know? This beautiful description of Scripture could aptly be ascribed to God—He is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, and righteous.
And this observation reveals a key truth: God’s Word gives us life because it leads us to God. When we cherish and apply Scripture with humility and sincerity, it reveals to us who God is and guides us to His heart, fostering deeper intimacy with Him. To put it yet another way, knowing God’s Word helps us know Him more deeply and live differently!
Indeed, the impact the Bible has on our lives is huge—it revives our souls, makes us wise, enlightens our eyes, and rejoices our hearts. It recalibrates our hearts, so inclined to gorge on the things of this world that do not ultimately satisfy, so that we seek life in Jesus and are able to walk joyfully in the newness of life He has given us.
Applying God’s Word: How Scripture Transforms Our Lives
But if walking in newness of life just required acknowledging that God’s Word is wonderful, our lives would look much different, wouldn’t they? In the final section of Psalm 19, David moves from the benefits of God’s Word to the behavior that enables one to reap them. Having said that “In keeping [God’s Word] there is great reward” (verse 11), David acknowledges that actually keeping it is difficult, to say the least.
12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Not only do we break God’s rules unconsciously, so that our sin is “hidden” from us and hard to discern, but we also commit “presumptuous” sins—blatant acts of rebellion against God and His Word.
Because David knows that Scripture is life-giving only when it is put it into practice, and that he is absolutely incapable of conforming his behavior to reap these benefits on his own, he prays. He cries out to God for help: “Keep me back from sin. Don’t let sin rule over me—instead, may You rule over me. With You as Lord of my life, having forgiven me and empowered me to walk in Your ways, I will be blameless and innocent.”
On this side of the cross, we know that the Holy Spirit, given to us by Jesus, provides us with resurrection life that gives us power over sin (Romans 6:1-14). Now, when we study God’s Word, we can not only acknowledge its wisdom and beauty but we can put it into practice and apply it to our lives.
As theologian Warren Wiersbe comments on Psalm 19, “The Word in the hand is fine; the Word in the head is better; but the Word in the heart is what transforms us and matures us in Christ.”
Living the Resurrected Life Through God’s Word
The resurrection of Jesus reminds us that through Him, believers in Christ are made alive, even when we don’t feel it. When sin and the distractions of this world drain our vitality, God has graciously provided His Word to nourish our souls and revive us.
We can experience the life-giving transformation that Scripture offers, the kind so eloquently described by David in Psalm 19. By immersing ourselves in God’s Word, we not only grow in our appreciation for its benefits are also empowered to live out the new life Christ has given us. As we pursue a deeper relationship with God through His Word, we’ll walk in the freedom and joy of His resurrection, thriving in the abundant life found in Him.
