Isn’t it amazing to realize that God has put “eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV) and has given us the ability to stop and wonder at all that God has done? No other creature seems to have this ability. And when we do that—when we shift our perspective from the narrow concerns of the present moment to the wonder of God’s creation and our place in it—isn’t it amazing to notice what happens inside of us? Our sense of proportion is radically reoriented. We realize how small we are compared to God’s greatness, and it raises a question: Who am I that God would take notice of me?
Psalm 8 prompts us to shift our perspective from the narrow concerns of this day toward the vastness of God’s creation and to wonder at God’s surprising ways, which include God’s choice to place us in charge as stewards of God’s handcrafted world.
Read Psalm 8 together.
Psalm 8 (The Message)
God, brilliant Lord,
yours is a household name.
Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
toddlers shout the songs
That drown out enemy talk,
and silence atheist babble.
I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
Why take a second look our way?
Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,
bright with Eden’s dawn light.
You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
Made us stewards of sheep and cattle,
even animals out in the wild,
Birds flying and fish swimming,
whales singing in the ocean deeps.
God, brilliant Lord,
your name echoes around the world.
Discussion questions
- Notice the similarities between the first and last sentences of this psalm. Why do you think the psalmist would repeat this idea at the beginning and end?
- In verse 2, the first thing the psalmist marvels at is the praise God receives from the mouths of infants and toddlers. What does it mean for the speech of infants and toddlers to “drown out” the words of God’s enemies?
- The psalmist names a few things about God’s creation that prompt wonder and awe. What prompts wonder and awe for you? Where have you seen God’s greatness and goodness displayed recently?
- “Why do you bother with us?” is a question that demonstrates humility. But in a different context it might sound like a question of self-deprecation or despair. What do you think distinguishes true humility from self-deprecation or despair?
- The psalmist names some of the responsibilities God has given to us as humans. When you think about some of your current responsibilities, how do you feel? How do you think God intends for us to feel when God gives us responsibilities?
Read the psalm one more time and close in prayer. Take time at the beginning of the prayer to name some things about God’s creation that bring delight. Give thanks to God for the responsibilities God has given to you, and ask for God to help you steward this day well.
This devotional is part of a series of devotionals created for worship teams. You can find the whole series here.
