Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Psalm 8
“1 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
Understand:
The opening and closing lines of this psalm are the same, “LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” The psalmist describes God as “majestic.” It means to display majesty, sovereign power, and authority. The psalmist is making it clear that the LORD alone is the object of our praise, because He is sovereign over all. In these nine verses, we see the LORD as the sole Creator of everything in heaven, on earth, and in the sea.
Apply:
The word “majestic” seems to jump off the page when I read this psalm. It’s not a word we use often to describe things we see, yet it is a very poignant word to use when describing the LORD. When I think of the word “majestic,” I think of something being grand and magnificent, something imposing, and something stately.
I recently spent some time in the Rocky Mountains. If I ever were to describe something as “majestic,” the Rocky Mountains would be one of them. Their sheer size speaks to their grandeur and stateliness. You can’t help but be impressed when standing on a mountain trail looking around at the size of the mountains; standing in their presence only increases their magnificence. There is something about them, though, that is imposing when you stand in their presence; something that makes you feel small and that causes you to feel humbled.
The Rocky Mountains were created by the Creator! These very mountains, and others that are far more impressive around the world, are the works of “His fingers.” In fact, the stars we see in the night sky are all set in place by Him. This is the One whom the psalmist describes as majestic!
I can’t help but feel a since of humility come over me as I think about how finite I am. When I think of His creation—the vastness of it—I am humbled.
The Creator God, the Majestic One, the One who is grand, imposing, and stately, is the same God who is mindful of me! Consider this thought…I’m blown away! Like the psalmist, I’m humbled. All I can do is fall on my knees and cry, “Hallelujah, great and mighty are you alone, have mercy on me LORD.”
Live:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.