God’s Glory, Man’s Dignity

What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.

Psalm 8:4-5

VERSE 1 OF PSALM 8 BEGINS WITH an almost breathless description of God’s glory: “O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.” As much as humanly possible, we should aim to think thoughts of God that are worthy of Him. He is truly magnificent and majestic—utterly matchless.

One way to catch a glimpse of God’s glory (and gain a little perspective) is to look around you—and especially upward. That’s what the psalmist David did. He looked up and was absolutely blown away by God’s greatness and his own relative smallness.

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4). This is true worship—seeing God’s greatness and understanding our lesser place in the grand scheme of things.

And yet Psalm 8:5 says that man is created “with glory and honor.” We are made in God’s image, and we are of great value to Him. Furthermore, verse 6 says that God gives humanity great responsibility: “You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority.” We are called to exercise dominion (control) over creation, under God’s loving care and rule. And in this His magnificent name is glorified, and we are truly blessed.

BOTTOM LINE

By being created in God’s image (and then being recreated to become like His Son), we have been given great dignity, responsibility, and purpose.

Moment of Strength: Psalm 8