Psalm 8
Several years ago, we took our young family to visit friends who were doing ministry among the Northern Cheyenne in Lame Deer, Montana. Nestled in the mountains, the small indigenous community has few amenities and very little light pollution. The clear night is absolutely spectacular. Jaw-dropping. The stars gleam and glow with their brightness; the sky looms large. It is easy to see why Montana is called “Big Sky Country.”
When we look up at the night sky, away from the city lights, the sheer scale of the universe can be overwhelming. The moon and the stars, set in place by God’s fingers, declare a majesty that makes our daily worries seem incredibly small. Psalm 8 begins and ends with an acknowledgment of God’s glory: "Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" But right in the center of this cosmic praise, the Psalmist asks a question that haunts us, especially during the season of Lent: "What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?"
It is the question of honest self-examination. In the vastness of creation, we are fragile. We are dust. And yet, the Psalm pivots to a stunning truth: we have been crowned with glory and honor. God has made us rulers over the works of his hands. This isn't because of our own power or merit, but solely because of God’s grace.
During Lent, this Psalm takes on a deeper, cruciform shape. We read these words and cannot help but see Jesus. The writer of Hebrews applies this same psalm to Christ, who was made "a little lower than the angels" for a while, tasting death for everyone. In Jesus, we see the true answer to the Psalmist’s question. God is mindful of us to the point of becoming one of us. He cares for us so deeply that the Majesty of heaven humbled himself to walk the dark, dusty roads of earth, ultimately walking the road to the cross.
Lent invites us to slow down and hold these two realities in tension: our smallness and God’s immense love. We are invited to look at the "moon and the stars" of our own lives, the things that seem huge and unmanageable, and remember the One who set them in place. But we are also invited to look at the cross and realize that the Creator of those stars knows our names, knows our struggles, and chose to die so that we might live.
As we journey toward Easter, Psalm 8 reminds us that our value is not determined by our productivity, our status, or our perfection. It is determined by the One who created us and the One who redeemed us. We are "crowned with glory" not because we earned a crown, but because the King of Kings traded his crown of glory for a crown of thorns. "Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"
Questions for Reflection:
- When we consider the vastness of God’s creation and his majesty, how does it change the way we view our current stressors or anxieties?
- In what specific areas of our lives do we need to stop trying to earn our worth and instead rest in the "glory and honor" God has already bestowed upon us through his grace?
Prayer:
Majestic Lord, when I consider your heavens, I am humbled by your greatness and overwhelmed by your grace. Thank you for being mindful of me, even when I feel small or forgotten. Thank you, Jesus, you lowered yourself to lift me up. As I walk through this Lenten season, help me to see myself through your eyes: loved, cared for, and crowned with your honor. Guide my steps and keep my eyes fixed on your majesty. Amen.
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