Tag: Psalm 8

Wednesday Word: MAGNIFICENT!

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I will confess, this word was a challenge. I don’t see myself as magnificent, so how would or could this be encouraging to me?

So here was my train of thought. All aboard…

The first stop in this trip was Psalm 8, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, the human beings that you should care for them?” Not very encouraging when taken out of context.

Next we pulled into Psalm 139:14, “I thank you God, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” But while amazing, did not make me feel magnificent.

There must be a better destination.

Then I saw it. Actually, I saw a meme on Facebook—predictable. This was the message:DFA22DA1-DE1E-4EA7-B4EC-7E562EBEF94B

Now that’s magnificent! God chose me, chose you to be a piece of his creation, of his plan, of his purpose. He wants us here. Our part may not seem big, but it’s important.

We are intentionally part of something huge, grand, and that’s MAGNIFICENT!

Rebuilding With Nehemiah, Chapter 9 Day 4

Thursday: No One Like Our God

Text: 6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. (Neh. 1:6)

Teach: When Moses gave the people God’s commandments, he began by telling them to acknowledge that there were no other gods before the LORD. He is the creator, the one who breathed life into everything. As a young teen I learned this truth. We would sing a chorus that said, “There is enough of God in nature, His power is clearly shown. A man has no excuse for wondering. God and heaven are known (see Romans 1:20).”

Take: When I sit out under a clear sky and see the multitude of stars above, I can’t help but think of God speaking to Abraham or David penning Psalm 8. And I want to break into a chorus or two of “How Great Thou Art.”

This verse in Nehemiah speaks to me of perspective: how great God is and how small, or insignificant, I am. And yet he loves me. He loves us. It really is amazing.

Task: We will have God’s perspective when we are aware of our position in relation to him. Psalm 8 tells us that God’s majesty fills the earth, but that he made us to care for his creation. There is trust and relationship implied throughout his Word. Pray through Psalm 8.

LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?[c]
5 You have made them[d] a little lower than the angels[e]
and crowned them[f] with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their[g] feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

What Do You Think?

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As I sit on my porch at dawn with a cup of tea, I find I am deep in a sea of sound. The birds’ sweet song fills the air with such mirth that my heart brims with joy. The crisp, fresh air seems to come at me in waves rich with the dew’s kiss.

Each sense seems to be tuned to the full love of God for all in His world. I can’t help but join the song: “Then sings my soul, my Christ, my God to Thee, How great thou art!”

These words share the truth of the Psalm scribe’s pen:

1 O Lord, our Lord, your great name fills the earth! Your fame flies to the end of the skies. 2 You have taught kids and babes to tell of your might, you stop the mouths of your foes and all who fight with you. 3 When I look at the night sky, see the work of your hands—the moon and the stars you set in place—4 what are mere men that you should think of them, your works that you should care for them?

5 Yet you made them a bit less than God and put a crown of worth on them. 6 You asked them to care for all you have made, and put all things ‘neath their rule—
7 the flocks,  the herds and all the wild beasts, 8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and all that swims in the seas’ waves.

9 O Lord, our Lord, your great name fills the earth!

To pray: Hear my song of joy this day and take my gifts of awe. You are true and great. I find rest in the fact that I am your child.

(I wrote this devotion a few years ago. I misunderstood the instructions, but liked the result enough to keep it. My goal, as I understood it, was to write a devotion using only one syllable words. What I ended up doing was really thinking through what the Psalmist was trying to say about God, and about his relationship with God. I share it with you to encourage you to do that hard work of “having the mind of God.” We’ll talk more about that this week.)

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