Many of you will be reading this devotional on the last day of the year, the last day of the decade. For some, a New Year’s Eve tradition is to be in a gathering outside somewhere for the midnight countdown. Others might gather with friends at one or another’s home. When it’s time to go back to your own home, it’s late and dark. Perhaps, if it’s a clear night, you may look up and see a star-filled sky. David had many opportunities throughout his life to sit and look at the stars and planets. As a youth he spent years outdoors, watching his father’s flocks, including at night. Then there were many years he spent out in the wilderness fleeing from King Saul, again sleeping outdoors. In our psalm today, we can see that David didn’t just blindly stare off into space without giving it any thought. Nor did he just casually look at the creation around him. Thoughts about creation and God were constantly spinning around in his mind. Our psalm for today is a short one, but it expresses some of the thoughts that David had as he beheld God’s creation.
Throughout his life, David spent many nights sleeping out under the open sky. As he looked up, he couldn’t help but notice how vast and huge the night sky and the universe is, and this was before the invention of any type of telescope, or binoculars. David also knew that God is greater than even all of that. God is so much greater than the whole universe as He created it with His fingers (vs. 3). Perhaps you’ve seen some science shows on TV where they show the planet earth in comparison to our solar system. It’s quite small! Then they zoom out and show the solar system compared to the Milky Way galaxy. Our solar system is just a speck! Then they zoom out even more, and our galaxy is just one of countless in the whole universe. Even on our own planet earth, each one of us individually is only a little speck. How much smaller when thinking of the whole universe? Like David, we can truthfully say “What is man, that You are mindful of him?” (vs. 4).
When we see what would look like an unmatched marriage or friendship, we might wonder what the one person sees in the other. That is a bit like what David was thinking. What does the Almighty God see in sinful man that would draw Him to love us? Looking at the vast expanse of creation, it’s a wonder that God would be concerned for people who constantly disappoint Him. Yet we were made in God’s image, a little lower than the angels (vs. 5). We bear the stamp of our Creator. He considers us highly valuable, and gave us the responsibility to watch over and care for all creation (vs. 6-8). He loved us enough to send His only Son, Jesus, to die for us.
Throughout various times in David’s life, he must have been around young children. Perhaps, since he was the youngest of several children, they were his nieces and nephews, and then later his own children. He observed that young children are often able to trust and praise God without doubts or reservations (vs. 2). As we get older, we sadly lose that ability. We allow the cares and worries of our life to dampen our praises to God. Though his own life certainly had many problems and concerns that he dealt with, David tried to make sure that praise and thanksgiving were a top priority, as his many psalms attest to.
David closes Psalm 8 just as he began it, by praising the Name of the Lord (vs. 1, 9). God’s Name is awesome. It is majestic. God’s name encompasses all of His attributes. Everything about God, His character, actions, thoughts, desires, words, and works are all praiseworthy and perfect. We may be just a speck in all of God’s creation, but He places His love on us, and that, alone, is worthy of giving God praise. This is something that we all should make a priority in this new year and new decade.
No comments:
Post a Comment