[Songs of Praise] Bookends of MajestyNäide

The God of Humankind

No matter what our estimation of humankind is, our view changes when we consider God’s creation.

Think about the enormity of the Milky Way galaxy. It would take us 100,000 years, traveling at the speed of light, to get from one side of the Milky Way to the other. Despite its incredible size, if we take the United States as the sum of all the known galaxies, the Milky Way would be a teacup somewhere in Idaho. We haven’t begun to grasp the vastness of space.

Astronomers estimate that there are as many galaxies outside the Milky Way as stars. That would mean there are more than 100 billion galaxies in the visible universe, each with more than 100 billion stars.

When the Bible says God calls all the stars by name, we begin to understand the magnificence of our God. We wonder, with David, why in the world He would want to have anything to do with us.

Yet, David says He visits us. God puts thoughts in our minds that give us direction. He comforts our souls with a hug or words from others when we least expect it. God opens our eyes to the view before us, letting us witness His greatness, assuring us He has our back. We can affirm that God shows up like this because He loves us.

David is perplexed. He wonders why God would visit us or be mindful of us. But what astounds David the most is that humans were made a little lower than the angels. We have been crowned with glory and honor.

What is David trying to say here? Does this mean angels are not that different from us? Hardly. All of us know or perceive angels are far greater than we are. David is not saying that we are comparable to the angels or the Lord in power or wisdom or righteousness. Rather, we have been blessed by God’s grace with glory and honor. We are God’s image bearers, created to be representatives of His majesty to all creation.

Lord, the greatness of Your creation makes us gasp in awe at Your power, wisdom, and majesty. How is it that You have put Your affection on us and crowned us with Your glory? Help us be the representatives that You made us to be!