The Glory of the Lord in Creation
To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David.
“O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength (perfect praise), because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
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[care for] him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen—even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!”
Psalm 8 is one of the best praise choruses ever written. It’s short, memorable, and gives complete glory to God. Psalm 8 gives us a framework for our own prayers of praise and thanksgiving.
“O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!” God’s name is of utmost importance. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe deserves all the respect and honor we can give. God’s glory extends throughout the entire universe, millions of light years beyond our comprehension.
“Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength (perfect praise), because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.” Adults complain and find fault while children simply believe. Praise is one of the best weapons against the dark and evil. When we praise, we must focus on God and not on our fears.
“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[care for] him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.” The more we look at the heavens, the smaller we appear in our own eyes. And yet, God has created us and loves us because of His nature, not because we are so loveable.
“You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen—even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.” God has allowed humans to have dominion over nature. Do we deserve it? No! Are we good stewards? Much of the time, no! But God continues to allow us to handle or mishandle creation because God is bigger than our mistakes.
“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!” There’s nothing left to say; God is magnificent and worthy of all our praise.
APPLICATION: This psalm is a favorite-short, memorable, and perfectly balanced. One advantage of this psalm is that David has already done all the work for us. We don’t have to fumble for words of praise; we can repeat Psalm 8 until the words sink into our consciousness. Why is such a practice important?
There are many times when we face unpleasant situations over which we have no control and from which there is no escape. Years ago, I was in a very demanding training program. I found myself as the only fellow because the trainee who should have preceded me had dropped out of the program the previous year after only a few months. The junior partner in the practice seemed intent on building himself up by tearing me down. I was working insane hours, and I survived by persistently praising God as I walked the hospital hallways. This psalm helped keep me focused on God instead of my problems.
Perhaps today you find yourself between the proverbial rock and a hard place. You are stuck in a situation with no exit. But God is with you in that mess! Praise Him and see what He can do.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, speak to the hearts of all who are troubled and give them Your peace that passes all understanding. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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