Psalms DAY 4

DAY 4 - A Little Lower Than…

Psalm 8:3-6

It’s natural to look at the bigness of the ocean or a mountain and feel small. Psalm 8 seems headed that way in v.4, but throws a curve in v.5: “You have made [us] a little lower than the angels and crowned [us] with glory and honor.” You’re not so small! You’re not insignificant! God knows you and cares about you and cares for you. That’s what it means for God to be “mindful” of us. You have a glorious purpose. Like Switchfoot sang in their hit song, “We were meant to live for so much more!” Every single one of you, every person you’ve ever met, has a God-given glory that can’t be wiped away. We know that because this is a callback to Genesis 1:27, “God created humankind in his own image.”

You’d know that even better if the NIV better translated v.5 from the Hebrew. The word translated “angels” is better translated “God.” You were made a little lower than God! Not only are you not forgotten by the one who made the Milky Way, you’ve got something comets and caribou don’t have: you’re God’s ambassador on planet Earth! 

Can you believe what you are? Can you comprehend what you’re made to be? Can you fathom how much you’re loved? Do you see it? Do you get it? Can you feel it?

When he sees how much God cares about us, the psalmist is moved to adoration. That’s what praise is - adoration! So much so that he writes this Psalm 8 love song! He knows the undeserved, unearned, and unexpected love of God. He can say, “I love you, God!” because he knows that God’s every action toward us says, “I love YOU!” 

What does Psalm 8 teach us about praying “I love you, God?” Maybe this: “I love you” is easy to say when you already know you’re loved.

REFLECT
How do you feel knowing God already loves you without you doing anything?

PRAY
Thank you, Father, for being mindful of me. Thank you for making with glory and honor. Thank you for loving me. I love you. Amen.