Day 8.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:3, 4 ESV)
Have you ever been camping far away from the city and looked up at the stars on a clear night? As a teenager I used to sleep out on a beach near Lake Michigan far away from any lights and stare up at the sky. We tried to to identify the constellations and spot “shooting stars” falling through the sky. It is a breathtaking sight and invites you to ponder the majesty and wonder and power of the God who created it. In light of such an awesome wonder, what is man that God should give him attention? He’s just a blip on one tiny planet in a sea of stars spread out across a vast universe.
And yet, God is mindful of man and does care for him. What does that say about the majesty of man?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas. (Psalm 8:5-8 ESV)
Man has been given dominion over all of this. We have been crowned with glory and honor. We have been given a tremendously important job to do on behalf of the Creator of the universe.
Doesn’t this put life in perspective? How does this truth challenge the way you spend your days? Are you preparing yourself for such a task or spending the time God has given you on vain pursuits?
Repent for not living with your calling in mind and ask God to stir your heart to live well.
Chronological Reading Plan plus Psalms: Job 17-20, Ps 8
We can spend more of our time learning what God’s word says and trying to do our best at whatever task we have not to make good grades but to know that we are preparing to be good rulers and leaders for God.