When I read Psalm 8,
I imagine David, the shepherd boy, alone in a meadow late at night. He sits
upright under a tree wrapped in a rough woolen blanket to stay warm as he watches
for wild beasts that come out at night to prey on sleeping sheep. His eyes are just
getting a little heavy with sleep when a bright light sweeps across his lids.
He looks up just as a shooting star reaches the end of its flight across the
sky and releases a dazzling shower of tiny colorful stars into the atmosphere.
And he’s suddenly aware of the grandeur of the expanse above him – the moon enormous
and pulsing with a soft radiance is set high in the sky surrounded by countless
stars spread out as far as the eye could see, each star seeming to compete with
the other for brilliance. The night is alive and vibrant! David draws in a
sharp breath at the pure beauty of it all and senses deeply the presence of God.
An animal cry in the distance brings him back to earth. He breathes in deeply, slowly
lets his breath out, reaches for his sack, takes out some parchment and begins to
write. His fingers move quickly as words of adoration and praise and wonder flow
like torrents from the deepest part of his soul, his eyes never quite leave the
beautiful night sky that seem to echo his thoughts back to him –
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!...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?
David is in awe at the magnificence
of God's creation but he is also astonished and somewhat perplexed that the same Creator, the Holy and Righteous God, the Omnipotent and Omniscient,
the Sovereign and Almighty King could condescend to notice man, a fallen being He created with a lower status than the angels.
As God’s watchmen over humans,
angels know humans intimately, that they are weak, stiff-necked and rebellious, and are faithless ingrates. These beings also know that God is Holy and must wonder why He loves man so much that He chooses to live among us, delight in us with gladness, calm our fears with His
love, and rejoice over us with joyful songs. (Zephaniah 3:17).
David says it and the angels
also know that God gave man dominion over the works of (His) hand, the beasts of
the fields, the birds in the air and all creatures under the sea (Psalm 8:6 -8).
More amazing and mysterious still
is the sacrifice that God made to save man from total damnation, asking nothing from man in return.
Children of God, as we go
through the Christmas season, could we:
- Adjust our priorities and put the Sovereign God of the Universe back where He belongs, in the center of His own Holiday?
- Remember that God took on our human form to become a humble servant so we may no longer be defeated by sin and death? And could we tell it to someone who doesn’t know it?
- Also tell someone that the Christ Child, the Baby Jesus grew up and at age 33 was crucified on a cross, but was resurrected after three days and is alive today as King of Kings and Lord of Lords whose Kingdom has no end, and He can change a life for all eternity?
- Humbly remember that we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked and have nothing of our own by which to repay Christ for His love and self-sacrifice?
Could we remember to shout often
with joy and gratitude, O
LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!?
Prayer and
Thanksgiving: Holy and Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Mighty God,
King of Kings and Lord of Lords, how majestic is your name in all the earth! We
praise and honor your name this season and especially thank you for love that
is better than life because without it life will not be worth living. Forgive us
Father when we become prideful and think we are more than we are, for forgetting
that without the righteousness of Christ we will remain forever wretched and blind.
Thank you that you are still rejoicing over us with singing even with our many
flaws. Help us to remember that your grace saves us, your mercy is new for us every
day and your faithfulness never ends for those who are yours. Every moment of
every day for all eternity You are LORD. To you, Father, be dominion and power
for ever and ever. All things we pray and ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Always by God’s Word and prayer,
Cecile
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