Wednesday 21st December
Read Psalm 8:3-4
“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?” (NIVUK)
Have you ever wandered out at night, looked to the heavens and wondered about your place in this vast universe? It is the simplest and purest of blessings to be able to ask that question at all! The Apollo missions captured the attention of us mere humans for many years last century drawing our eyes heavenward. Did you know the text of Psalm 8 was placed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission?
We are blessed in Armidale to be able to walk outside, particularly when the moon is new, and gaze in wonder and awe at the expanse of the Milky Way spread out before us. David too would have looked out upon that same sky and marveled that the Lord who crafted and carefully created this cosmos would consider humanity and care for them (v4). What is man…?
It is a question that has been asked from the very beginning. When the moon and stars were placed in the heavens and humanity was crafted from the earth (cf Genesis 1) the relationship between the two of them has exercised wiser minds than ours. Part of the right response is to consider the King of the cosmos and our relationship to Him.
“‘To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:25-26) (NIVUK)
Our smallness is important, our weakness is essential. It is no coincidence that this same Lord of glory and majesty and power and strength became weak and powerless and small and dependent and that it was announced by a star in the night sky…
