Insight for Today
A Daily Devotional by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

[Wednesday] I stressed the value of memorizing God’s Word and talked about how doing so has benefited me in practical ways throughout the years. Memorization, however, is only one of many ways to interact with Scripture.

David has packed a lot of great theology into a short space in Psalm 19. Unfortunately, we can hit only the highlights of these 14 verses because neither time nor space permits us to dig into the depths of each one.

Few things are more obvious and alarming in our times than biblical illiteracy. Even though the human mind can absorb an enormous amount of information, mental laziness remains a scandalous and undeniable trend in popular culture and even within the church.

Ever felt completely removed from God's awareness? It's almost like you're standing at the bottom of a long stairway looking up, isn't it? The light is off, and even though you knock or call out for a response, nothing happens.

Having convinced us of the importance of guarding our hearts, Solomon urged three specific actions to make this practical. We've considered the first: we are to ignore false directions (v. 24).

While salvation is entirely a work of God—an unconditional commitment on His part to preserve those He has saved (John 10:28–29; Romans 8:28–39; 2 Timothy 1:12)—He gives us a genuine stake in maintaining the quality of our spiritual lives.

By now, I trust that Solomon has sufficiently motivated you to guard your heart from invasive, detrimental influences and to cultivate a hunger for knowledge of God.

David's Psalm 15 explores the characteristics of a person who enjoys fellowship with the Lord in this life. As you consider each facet of integrity, take note of the Lord's emphasis on relationships.

Our study of Solomon’s fatherly advice has helped us appreciate the importance of guarding our heart, our inner self. He then explains why. The conjunction for could be translated “because.”

David's song, Psalm 15, opens with a probing question about our experience of fellowship with God in the temporal realm, our relationship with Him in daily life.

As we examine Solomon’s counsel on the importance of guarding one’s heart, note that he again directs his words to “my son.” Because the Holy Spirit preserved this passage for us, we now benefit from Solomon’s wise fatherly advice.

If you read Psalm 15 carefully, you will discover the entire song all hangs upon the first verse. Verse 1 is crucial in that it asks a probing question. That's today's devotional. David's answer forms the rest of the psalm.

Make no mistake! Your heart is under siege. Like marauding hordes surrounding a fortress, advertisers, porn moguls, and media mavens scheme to find a point of entry.

Benjamin Franklin once called David's Psalm 15 the "Gentleman's Psalm." To him, it represented the standard of life after which a gentleman should pattern his walk.

God has established a paradigm to help us escape the trap of worry. This cause-and-effect principle is as much a part of creation as the law of gravity.

The first word in verse 5 is "but." That little word usually introduces a contrast to the reader. It's as if David is saying, "In contrast to my earlier complaints and fears, my dull eyes and proud heart . . . I have trusted!"

As we discovered [Monday], “trusting in the Lord with all your heart” begins with the decision to “not lean on your own understanding.” The second choice calls for us to “acknowledge Him in all our ways.”

As I read Psalm 13 and reflect on the section describing David on his face, overwhelmed with grief and hopelessness, I see two practical areas of application: 1. It was the length of the test that began to weary David.

As we continue our study of Solomon’s advice concerning worry, note that the second two lines expand on the main idea to trust in the Lord. “Trusting with all your heart” involves two actions: one negative, the other positive.

Swamped by the overwhelming trials of life, David resorts to four common and human ways to handle despondency. In these two verses, he reminds us of ourselves and four mental escape routes we often take under pressure.