~ Held Secure ~

[Lani]

Psalms Chapter 8

1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!



What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Psalm 8:4 (NRSV)



When I was young, looking up at the night sky with its endless expanse of stars made me fearful. I wondered what held it all in place and what would happen if that mysterious force were suddenly to let go. Knowing that even the most powerful telescopes see but a tiny portion of this vast universe, I also felt small and insignificant, like a grain of sand among countless planets and stars.

Then one day someone told me about God who is “sustaining the universe with his powerful word” (Heb. 1:3, TEV). This reassured me. I felt that I was held secure by that same, strong hand. Learning also that God had sent Jesus to die for my sin, I no longer felt insignificant. If I – or any one of the billions on earth – were the only person who ever lived, Christ would have died for that one alonge. He loves each of us as if there were no other. We need only look in the mirror to see the apple of God’s eye. (see Ps. 17:8)

Today, rather than generating fear, looking up at the night sky inspires reverence for the God whom the heavens cannot contain. Yet this great God also dwells in my heart and hears my every prayer.



Prayer: Dear God and Creator, thank you that in the vastness of the universe you care for each of us. Amen.

Prayer Focus of Day: Those struggling with Faith
Thought for the Day: God who knows the stars by name knows my name too.

Story shared by: F. Reigada (FL)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional: 11/8/11