Psalm 8 -- “Lord, our Lord, how majestic you are! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, who am I that you are mindful of me, that you care for me? You have made me a little lower than the angels and crowned me with glory and honor. You made me ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under my feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic you are!” (a favorite)
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Last evening, our family and friends celebrated the life of my Grandma Bonnie. The service was a beautiful remembrance of all the joy, wit, care, lessons, but especially...love...that she brought to all of our lives. The time we spent with many people yesterday sharing memories and stories, joy and tears, was a blessing for all who were there.
My cousin Kristin read Psalm 8 as a part of her tribute to Grandma Bonnie. Although I have read it before and heard it more than a few times...that it has been hanging in a frame at my parents house in the upstairs hallway for almost 30 years...the words came across to me in a new a special way. The power and humility of this Psalm brings to mind the fact that even though God created the most formidable forces in the universe, the stars, the planets, oceans and continents, He still cares for us above all else.
We so often discount our importance as God’s creation in this world. He has given us the ability to do great works. When we are at our best, we make amazing things happen. Whether it is a large group of people coming together behind a noble cause and changing the lives of thousands or a simple act of outreach by a single person anonymously to another where only they and God are aware of the gift given, all of it comes from the power God has created in us.
Yet, so often, we are not at our best.
Who am I that God is mindful of me?!? I am a flawed man, full of selfish thoughts and sinful action. Aren’t there more important things for Him to be focused on? I fail Him over and over again, and yet He still considers me of immense value, desiring that I always return and am close to Him. He has the ability to strike me down and return me to dust without a second thought. Why should he care for me?
All I can do is sit in sheer awe of His majesty. His ability to continually reconcile my failures and allow me again to be with Him is awesome and beyond my understanding. The fact that He would send His own Son to be a sacrifice for me, when I did not deserve such a gift humbles me to my core.
So, dear friends, recognize the fact that God has chosen you above all creation to be in His special care. He has given you power to change things for the better; to love; to bring joy; to spread happiness. Know that He will always watch over you, no matter what, and that even when we feel like we are at our lowest, when we fail Him, we can return to Him and His majesty will not fail us.
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