Psalm 8

A Bible Devotion from Psalm 8

O Lord, Our Lord, How Excellent is Your Name in all the Earth

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?
Psalm 8: 3-4, NKJV

What a glorious song of praise to God. Take some time and pray this Psalm to God. Reflect on it as you pray; think of the awesomeness of God, and all He does for us.

Who is this God we serve? We cannot look on any of the natural wonders of this world without proclaiming praise and glory to its Creator God. How could one ever believe this could happen by chance? Again and again, as we view the mountains brushed with snow, see the awesome display of colors in the fall, or watch with delight as each new blossom appears in the soft mornings of spring, we can do no less than praise the glorious name of our Great God and King. This world has been created by intelligent design, and certainly not through some haphazard element of chance.

Like the psalmist we have to say,

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.

What is this that God has done? After creating this marvelous world, He created man and then placed man in authority over all of creation. All of the works of God's hands were placed under the care of man. All of the sheep and oxen, the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea have been placed under the dominion of man.

Is it true that man is no different than the animals? No, it is not true! Man, who has been made in the image of God has a soul and spirit that will live forever. Unlike the animals, he has been placed under God's order and is subject to God's laws. When he breaks those laws, he experiences guilt, placed within his conscience by God Himself.

Do animals feel guilt? No! Animals have natural God-given instincts, but they have no souls, and do not have a set of laws given by God that they must obey. That also means that animals do not sin.

To whom much is given, much is required. God created us in His image, and stamped His law upon our hearts. Guilty of sin since Adam and Eve, because we do not obey that law perfectly, we are guilty and condemned, in need of a Savior.

Yet God in His great love and mercy did not destroy us as He would certainly have been justified in doing, but rather sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins. Hebrews 2:3 asks the question, How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? We cannot! We must go to Christ, confessing our sin and unworthiness, asking Him to intercede on our behalf before a righteous and holy God.

What an amazing God we serve. Can you believe that all of this is implied in Psalm 8, this wonderful Psalm of David? With David, then, let us all proclaim, O LORD, our LORD, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

Next: Psalm 9, Arise O Lord, Do Not Let Man Prevail

A Devotion from Psalm 8 which first appeared in the blog, Daily Bible Devotions, on January 19, 2011.

Verses 1-9, Excellent