July 27, 2022

JD Wilhelm
"When I look at 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, and the son of man that you care for him?"
Psalm 8:3-4

In verse 3, the focus shifts from the sovereignty of God to humanity. It is important to realize that although the focus is now on humanity, the primary actor is still God. When looking at the night sky, the psalmist is struck by the immensity of God’s “work.” The question that follows stands at both the structural and thematic center of the psalm. How does God, who is responsible for creating and sustaining the universe, have time to care for me? This is a question worthy of a cup of tea and a few hours spent gazing upon the night sky this week.

Whereas the beginning and the end of the psalm deal with God’s sovereignty, the heart of the psalm raises the issue of God’s personal nature. We come to realize that these issues are inseparable. We cannot understand the nature of God’s sovereignty without the knowledge that God is “mindful” and “cares for” us as individuals. Our identity cannot be understood apart from this personal relationship with the sovereign God of the universe. Thinking about it that way may take more than a cup of tea gazing at the night sky this week. This is the journey of a lifetime.