Being Known

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8

In a recent staff meeting, our Senior Pastor asked each of us to share our favorite Psalm. That’s a more difficult question to answer than one might think. So many Psalms have resonated with me and encouraged me through the years. However, in spite of the difficulty in making a choice, my answer was Psalm 8. I am not sure exactly why, but those words written so long ago connect with me in a deep way. They speak to the truth of God’s majestic power over the entire earth and, at the same time, of His individual concern for all of us. The words remind me of God’s amazing, creative intent for our world along with the fact that, within His creation, He has uniquely gifted each one of us with His love and divine purpose.

I recently returned from my annual duck hunting trip to Arkansas. Since we were far away from the lights of the city, on clear nights the stars were incredible. As I looked up at them, I reflected on the words, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place…” These words remind me of the incomprehensible truth that the Creator of heaven and earth knows me and cares for me in a personal way. The late J.I. Packer made this observation: “There is no peace like the peace of those whose minds are possessed with full assurance that they have known God, and God has known them, and that this relationship guarantees God’s favor to them in life, through death and on forever.” Like the stars that He has placed in the sky, we are known, can experience His peace, and can reflect His glory today and every day.  

For Reflection

Do you experience the peace of being known by God?
How might you reflect His glory on this day?

Prayer

Lord, we thank You for Your creation and the glimpse it gives us of Your majesty. On this day, help us to embrace the fact that we are truly known. Draw us near to You and give us Your peace for today and all the days ahead. Amen.