Majestic

January 12

Genesis 23-24

Psalm 8

Proverbs 2:1-5

Matthew 9:1-17

Majestic

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic 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 set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him?”  Psalm 8:1,3-4 ESV

From the time I was six weeks old my mother worked for NASA and when she retired from there, she worked for a space contractor for several years.  Needless to say, I have been surrounded by planets, stars, and space exploration my entire life.  Growing up it was almost commonplace because I heard about it all the time, but as an adult I have come to recognize and be fascinated by just how amazing the universe really is.  I have heard people say that they feel closest to God when they are at the beach looking out over the crystal-clear ocean and listening to the waves beat against the shore.  Some feel the Lord’s presence hiking in the mountains breathing in the crisp, fresh air and listening to the gentle breeze blowing through the towering trees.  But I think I agree with the psalmist; there is nothing that ushers me into the presence of the Lord like staring into the night sky.   When I look up on a clear night and see millions of stars lighting up the darkness, I am mesmerized. 

David did not have the knowledge that we have today.  He could only see the sky with his naked eye.  We have the benefit of years of research, satellite technology, space exploration and actual photographic images taken from outer space.  We can see the vastness and splendor of God’s creation in a way that David couldn’t even imagine.  But he understood that the God who created the sun, moon, planets, and stars and who continues to keep them in motion cared about him.  And He cares about you and me as well.  I am only one of nearly seven billion people on a tiny planet called Earth and yet He cares about every detail of my life.   “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?  Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  Indeed, the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  Luke 12:6-7 (NIV) The majesty of God and the intimacy of God seem to be contradictory and yet both are completely true.  Thank You, Jesus, for being mindful of me, a sinner.