"What is Your Favorite Psalm?"

He looked me in the eye and said, “So, you’re a preacher. What is your favorite Psalm?”  Fortunately, I didn’t blink. I fired back, “Psalm 8.”  Naturally, his next question was, “Why?”

As I grow older, I am cognizant that I no longer pursue the fast lane the way I once did. Psalm 8 speaks to the value God places on us no matter our stage in life. This Psalm starts and ends with the same affirmation: “O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” David uses “our” instead of “my”. He speaks on our behalf.  I love his use of the word “majestic”, meaning great and high. God is no tribal deity but the Lord of all.

David draws a stark contrast between all of creation with its wonder and the vulnerability of humankind. “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?”  Is the author really suggesting that Almighty God actually cares for us and pays attention to us?  Surely, running the universe is all-consuming. Yet, the Word of God says we are not forgotten, not ignored, and not overlooked.

Psalm 8 puts life in proper perspective for me. It is humbling to imagine that the Lord of life actually knows me and loves me. When we pray, God actually listens. Our cries for help do not arrive to the Lord’s ear as irritants!

I see God’s grace in Psalm 8. Grace is God’s unconditional love for those who don’t deserve it. This Psalm is a promise that God’s grace in Jesus Christ is always greater than our need.

Blessings!