Many people, sadly, have little time for the Old Testament. They regard it as dull and dry – a closed book to them. They simply do not know what they are missing, for in fact there is so much in the Old Testament’s pages to guide, teach, excite and challenge. Take Psalm 8 and the following meditation it, taken from my book The Unfolding Story and placed in the mouth of King David. Not only is the message of the Psalm inspirational; it is also, in its implied challenge to live as stewards of creation, surprisingly topical.
Read
O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
and crowned them with glory and honour.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8
The meditation of David
Is it possible?
Can it really be true that God has time for you and me?
It seems preposterous,
stretching credulity to the limit,
for what place can we have in the grand scheme of things;
what reason for God to concern himself about our fate?
I look at the vastness of the heavens
and the awesome tapestry of creation,
and we’re nothing,
just the tiniest speck against the great backdrop of history.
And yet amazingly,
astonishingly,
we matter!
Not just noticed by God,
but precious to him,
special,
unique,
holding an unrivalled place in his affections and purpose.
Can it be true? –
a little lower than God himself,
made in his image?
It sounds fantastic,
almost blasphemous,
for who are we –
weak, sinful, fatally flawed humanity –
to be likened to the sovereign God,
creator of the ends of the earth,
enthroned in splendour,
perfect in his holiness?
Yet there it is,
incredible yet true,
not just part of creation but stewards over it –
the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
the fish of the sea –
their future in our hands;
this wonderful world,
so beautiful,
so fragile,
placed into our keeping,
held on trust.
That’s how much he loves us,
the ultimate proof of his care.
What a wonderful privilege!
What an awesome responsibility!
Pray
Lord of all,
your love for us involves responsibility
as well as privilege.
our place in creation carries a duty to nurture
rather than simply exploit it.
Forgive us for our part in a society
that has too often lived for today
with no thought of tomorrow,
plundering this world’s resources
with little care as to the consequences.
Challenge the hearts and minds of people everywhere,
that they and we may understand more fully
both the wonder and the fragility
of this planet you have given us,
and so honour our calling to be faithful stewards of it all.
In the name of Christ we pray.
Amen.