I’ve been having a wonderful time this week with my parents up to see us, we went for a long walk and had ice cream. Monica stayed for a few days and we had a great time watching “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel, getting haircuts and enjoying food and conversation together. Now Billy is up for a few days, as he just moved out here for his new job in Southern California. This weekend we had very hot weather, a big wedding to attend and lots of excitement as we shared with others that we are having a baby. It seems that our lives are always full. Not necessarily good things all the time or bad things all the time, but full of the Lord working. I’m so glad that we have some precious close friends and family to share life with as we encourage and sharpen each other to walk in the light of God as we love Him and serve others each day.
Today I spent some time reading Psalm 8 and I was profoundly moved by the descriptive and specific way that the writer glorifies God:
“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!”
Psalm8:1,3-4,9
God is amazing. He was never created, but He created all that exists. I think of the Grand Canyon, the ocean, mountains and even the red tide–how amazing creation is. And yet, it is only a slight reflection of the awesome God whose fingers formed it into being. We are usually so focused on ourselves and getting glory for our own name that we fail to recognize God as He is and in doing so do not see ourselves in proper light. It is difficult to see the One who is so far and so exalted above us when all we do is look at ourselves. This Psalm is a deep expression of the humble response we should have as we see glimpses of God’s glory in creation and our lives.
Man is nothing. He deserves no acclaim and no praise. Yet his whole life he is out to find happiness, self-worth and success. God is the only one who is worthy and deserving of being exalted. For no matter how bright we are or accomplished we become we are no match for the grandeur of God’s majesty. Life is so fulfilling when I look up and see myself in light of the Lord, so small and insignificant and yet He loved me so much that He sent His Son to make atonement for all of our sins. And He doesn’t even stop there, but continues to guide me and give me such good gifts that are all beyond what I could have imagined. He is excellent indeed!