Psalm 8

Why Does God Call Me To Look Up? Psalm 8

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment

At regular intervals, and sometimes entirely by surprise, God paints the sky with impressive displays of his handiwork. While every night sky, sunrise, sunset, a sea of blue, or cloud formation reveals beauty, some of God’s artwork stuns me. A recent lunar eclipse reminded me of how God can and will disrupt the regular cycles He set in place in the beginning. The sun or moon can stand still or disappear for a moment. To witness unique artistry, all I have to do is look up into the sky and watch the Lord of the universe remind me of His power and might.

Have you ever noticed humans are designed to look skyward, unlike animals who primarily look down?

Watching the skies provides weather warnings, navigational information, and ways to track the passing of time. But do I get so caught up with my devices tethered below that I miss out on what God is showing me above?

On Ascension Day (Thursday, May 25, 2022, and the following Sunday), forty days after Easter, Jesus’ ministry on earth came full circle as God’s people were looking at the sky. When Jesus was born, there was a beckoning star guiding those who sought Him. The gospels explain that after leading his disciples out of Jerusalem to Bethany, He lifted his hands and blessed them. After that, he issued his final assignment, and then He was taken up into Heaven, leaving His followers looking skyward.

In Psalm 8, the psalmist is also looking at the heavens. Reading and praying through each verse provides some needed focus and encouragement in preparing my heart to remember the ascension.

1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 
Psalm 8:1 ESV

Thank you, Lord, for your generosity in making your love writ large across the skies. You don’t want anyone to miss Your message. As I gaze upward, I am in awe of You.

2     Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. Psalm 8:2 ESV

Lord, I am amazed by how You use the mouths of those in our society (babies and infants) who might be dismissed because they are small or needy. Yet, their voices praise You, and You continue to send more babies to earth as blessings every day. While we as humans might believe we can control their arrivals, You make it clear that you specialize in the unexpected.

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? 
Psalm 8:3-4 ESV

Looking at the night sky and trying to count the stars is a way I can see how small I am and how vast the hand is of the one who painted those night skies must be. And yet, You hear my cries, and You respond to my requests.

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. Psalm 8:5 ESV

Out of your grace, You gave me Jesus. He has walked on earth and had every struggle I might ever encounter.

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. 
Psalm 8:6-8 ESV

Out of Your abundant generosity, You gave Jesus authority over everything. As a result, Jesus can transform my unruly heart. My limited understanding can be enhanced by Him and all my limitations. Yet, he knows and sees and loves me anyway.

9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 9:9 ESV

Today, I look skyward and praise You for all You are, all You have done, and all You will continue to do. I am blessed when I look up. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Do I Know God’s Majesty? Psalm 8

/ Anthea Kotlan / 1 Comment

“Jake’s not feeling well today, so he won’t be with us.”

Without missing a beat, my three-year-old daughter said, “We should pray for him.” She grabbed our hands and bowed her head and prayed.

Even as a preschooler many years ago, her heart was full of faith and determination to take it all to the Lord. There is something so striking about a small child’s faith on display, and how it moves the heart of God.

Psalm 8 is a glorious hymn of praise.

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, Psalm 8:1-3 ESV

The first verse of Psalm 8 establishes God’s identity. He is the king and has authority over all so what he says and does matters to everyone. His authority and power are so evident that even babies know God.

The New International Version (NIV) writes verse 2 this way, 

“Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” Psalm 8:2 NIV

God uses our world’s most fragile and dependent souls to still His enemies. Only God might choose to defy the world’s expectations with His own successful but unexpected battle strategies. God uses the moon and the stars to kindly remind us daily of His presence with consistent messaging. The stars watch over us day and night even though they are only revealed when the sun goes down. God watches over each of us even when we don’t see Him. The moon rises each night without a break. We look up and see God’s power and might displayed with jewels glowing in a dark sky.

Everything in God’s creation makes provision for God’s people. Ancient peoples used these same stars and the moon cycles to:

• Know when to plant crops

• Know where to go

• Know what time it is

• Know when the tides would come and go

This information should fill us with awe. The sky’s regular cycles of stars and moon movement provide predictability in an ever-changing world.

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. Psalm 8:4-8 ESV

God knew men and women would wonder who they are and what place they have in this world. He generously reveals this critical information. Man is given dominion and authority over all else on earth. All the works of God’s hands, all the birds, all the fish, all the beasts, are under man. Do I take such stewardship seriously? How might this view change how I use natural resources or treat animals?

Man is crowned with glory and honor by God. If I could choose to see each human on earth as someone who is made in the image of God, and “crowned with glory and honor by God,” how might I treat each one differently? Could I cultivate more love and less criticism in my heart based on what God has chosen to do?

9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:9 ESV

Psalm 8 finishes as it began by re-stating the facts: God’s name is majestic in all the earth. The verse serves as a matching bookend of praise. God’s reputation has been established and He has all authority. God knew that people, like me who might tend to see the glass half empty, would need such reminders. Today, I praise God for His majestic name, and I lay all I have before His throne.