My Monday Morning Prayer

"The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."  (Psalm 19:1 ESV)

Truly all creation sings the Father's praise!

On our recent trip to Oregon, we flew into Portland on an absolutely glorious sunny day.  As we began our approach into the city, from one side of the airplane we had a stunning view of Mount Ranier and Mount St. Helens.  On the other side, we were "up close and personal" with Mt. Hood.  And I wondered, with such beauty, how anyone could deny a Creator!

Living in the mountains as I do,  I often have a beautiful view of a clear night sky, without the distraction of any city lights.  I gaze into the night sky, and I stand in awe of the Creator's handiwork!

This weekend's "super moon" is yet another example of the majesty of creation.  Again I was in awe, just as I am this morning as I view the beauty of the mountains around me.  I hear Haydn's oratorio running through my mind.....The heavens are telling the glory of God!

Psalm 19 is a wonderful reminder of the majesty of God's creation.  But there's more to this Psalm.  The Psalm is really in two parts, the first being the hymn of praise to our God for what He has created, and the second about the words of the Lord, about His rules for living.  Check that out in verses 7-9.  The Psalmist ends with a prayer we know well.....

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."  (Psalm 19:14 ESV)

But before he gets to that prayer, he makes another request of the Lord, and that is the verse that grabbed hold of me this morning.  He prays, "Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me."  (Psalm 19: 13 ESV)

It's the word presumptuous that got my attention this morning.  I think I had previously always understood that to mean "inadvertent".  In other words, the Psalmist was praying, as did I, not to sin inadvertently, not to sin accidentally or unknowingly.  But as I read Psalm 19 this morning, that didn't seem to be what he was saying.  So I dug a little deeper, did a little research.

The word which is translated presumptuous actually means proud or arrogant.  And that means something altogether different from accidental or unknowing, doesn't it?

And so I am praying that verse this morning.  Please, dear Lord, keep me from presumptuous sin; may I not be proud or arrogant in my attitudes or my behavior to You or toward others.

Keep me from presumptuous sins.  May my words and my thoughts, the meditations of my heart and my actions, be acceptable in your sight.  You are my Rock and my Redeemer.  Amen.