How many of us have been awestruck at the grandeur of a beautiful stretch of mountains, lush green and colourful landscapes, a thundering silver cascade of waterfall, the twinkling starry night, a bright rising sun bathing our eyes—and exclaimed: “LORD, GOD How great You are!!How awesome Your handiwork!!” Psalm 8 expresses such awe and wonder of God from the lips of the author who would have been gazing at the creation of God.

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The Psalmist’s awe and praise of God comes from two observations (looks):

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• The Outward look: God’s glory is displayed in all of creation- the work of His fingers (Vs.3). The moon and stars set in their places convey to us the order we see in creation—everything works in harmony according to how God has placed them to be! Have you thought of a single day the sun would cease to rise or the earth would stop in its course??? How disastrous it would be! God directs its courses day after day and most often we take them all for granted! See how God speaks to Job: “Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. Do you know when God dispatches them…..Those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?” (Job 37:14-16). God’s greatness when pondered on, causes the Psalmist to look to himself and see his smallness!

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• The Inward look: The Psalmist says, “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?” (Vs.4). When one understands the vastness of the universe and everything that God created, he/she appears just a small speck in comparison! Yet it pleased God to count man as the crown of His creation and make him ruler over the work of His hands! It causes us to humble ourselves before this great God!

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But look at the way we messed up! We fell from His grace into sin and grieved His heart when we walked away from His love and care. Yet His love pursued us to Calvary where He allowed His only Son to take our place for the just punishment of sin so that He would bring many sons to glory: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation [Jesus]through sufferings.” (Hebrews 2:10) This should cause us to say the same thing as the Psalmist did in Vs.4: “What is man…?”

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If you are someone who has lost all sense of worth and thinking of the purpose of your existence, you need to carefully think of what this Psalm conveys. God takes thought of you as the crown of His creation. The Psalmist speaks of each of our creation: “My frame was not hidden from You, When I was being formed in secret, And intricately and skill-fully formed [as if embroidered with many colors] in the depths of the earth.” (Ps.139:15 AMP). You were created for a reason! If you aren’t connected with your Creator, He has already made provision through His Son, Jesus Christ to come to Him! Give Him your life- let Him transform it so that you can find your God-given purpose in life. May you too join with all creation to praise Him: “How great Thou art!”

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References: NIV & NKJV Study Bibles

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Sing Along: “Then sings my soul my Saviour God to Thee…How great Thou art!”~ from Hymn ‘How Great Thou art’

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LISTEN- O Lord my God (How Great Thou Art)