Select a Ring of Truth daily devotion online
Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
Select the date to display the devotion for:
Psalm 8:4-5
What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour.
This is one of the classic Psalms.
It begins and ends with the same exclamation. “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your Name in all the earth.” I have a recording of this Psalm being read in Hebrew by an elderly Jew. It is dynamic.
It is a Psalm that we should all try to memorise because not only is it totally profound but it is only nine verses long and as I have already said, two of them are the same -the first and the last.
David was ‘caught up’ in the wonder of God’s majesty. He begins by looking at creation and is overwhelmed by its vastness and realises immediately that, in comparison, he is totally insignificant.
His heart attitude was one of humility. He knew full well that man is completely incapable of even dreaming of being the Creator. He also realised that the immensity of the universe could not exist, let alone remain, in stable equilibrium, without a benign Being controlling and sustaining it.
It is interesting that the theory of evolution has been around only since the 19th century. For the ages up till then, the creation theory was always accepted as fact. Are we really any better informed than David and Solomon?
In verse 2, David appears to suggest that whilst we are all ‘born in sin’, even as toddlers, we can praise God. I shall never forget a time visiting Cheddar Caves, in England, with my eldest son who was aged about 3 at the time. As appears natural at these times when you walk amongst stalactites and stalagmites in vast chasms, everyone whispers. Not so my Andrew. This shrill little voice piped up, “Jesus made all this, didn’t He, Daddy?” From the lips of children God had indeed ordained praise. His comments were undoubtedly a revelation to many that afternoon.
In contrast to the vast universe, David was totally bewildered as to why God would even consider mankind, and as he developed that thought, his wonderment increased. But not only does God think of us, He also cares for us. On top of that, He has placed us over the works of His creation. Animals, domestic and wild, birds and fish. There is nothing that we can’t rule over and control.
Today, we have reaped the benefits of that control. Extinction of species, forests destroyed, the land raped and the ozone layer drastically depleted. Yes, we have control - but we are also responsible for it. Whilst we do not ‘worship’ creation because we worship the Creator - we should nevertheless play our part as good stewards in protecting the planet and its resources.
This psalm is also a Messianic Psalm, in that it suggests the Messiah will be “made a little lower than the heavenly beings” for a time. And then after His work is accomplished, He will be “crowned with glory and honour.”
As we go through our readings, marvel at their content and also constantly try and see Jesus in them.
And then worship Him as the Glorious One who gave His life for you.
Download the above Ring of Truth devotion as a PDF.
Previous Day's Devotion | Next Day's Devotion
To subscribe to this daily devotion by email visit our Daily Email subscription page.
