In this psalm, David poses the great paradox, one of the most remarkable questions about our human existence and relationship with God. As David considers all the evidence of God's glorious creation, he wonders...What do you see in us? To use David's words: "...what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? What have we done to deserve being put in charge of God's created masterpiece?
Psalm 8 A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
You have established strength because of Your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,
4 what is man that You are mindful of him,
and the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Notice how David poses this question and does not even address our sinfulness, which just amplifies this remarkable question? Why should God be mindful of you? Why should God care for me? Based on how we treat God and others, why shouldn't God simply zap us off the face of the earth? The answer is amazing, remarkable and very simple: God loves you! God loves every one of His created children, even those who do not love Him. You and I are God's sons and daughters, both by our creation in His image, and also by the salvation won for us, and given to us by Jesus Christ, God's Son.
Tonight, tomorrow, every time you confess your sins to God, you're asking this same question: "God, who am I that you should even allow me to come into Your presence and say "I'm sorry."?" We are totally undeserving of God's mercy, but He gladly and lovingly forgives us all the sins we sincerely confess. What a great gift of mercy and grace God gives to us! All of us should be singing and shouting every day these words of David: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
