Daily Devotions
Monday, June 9, 2025
Psalm 8:3-6 – When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.
How important is a human being to God, that He should care for, or even think about, even one person He has created? That is what the psalmist wants to know. Compared to vast oceans or great mountain ranges, one human being is very small and barely noticeable. From our own point of view, of course, we are very important. We like to imagine, with sinful pride, that everything revolves around us. Then we look into the field of stars in the night sky or remember sins we have committed and suddenly we feel very, very small. That is what the psalmist experienced. He looked up at the night sky stretched out overhead and asked God, “What is man that You are mindful of him?”
God is very mindful of the people He created. He made human beings, male and female, in His own image. He gave them dominion “over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28b). They were the crown and glory of His creation, made only a little lower than the angels. Yet glory and dominion were not enough for the people God made. They wanted more and chose to disobey their Creator. Like them, we make choices contrary to God’s will. We misuse our dominion over creation and seek earthly glory for ourselves instead of glorifying God. We are fallen, sinful people, but we are still so precious to God that He sent His Son to be our Savior. The writer to the Hebrews uses the words of this psalm to describe our Lord’s earthly ministry and saving work. Jesus humbled Himself to be born among us and He was, for a little while, lower than the angels. He suffered and died on the cross to atone for the sins of the world. Raised from death, He was exalted to reign at the Father’s right hand, where He is crowned with glory and honor with all things subject to Him (see Hebrews 2:6-8).
Like the psalmist, we see the glory of God proclaimed in the beauty of His creation. We seek to share the love of God with others and to be good caretakers of the world He made, but we do not have to ask if God is mindful of us or if He cares for us. We can look at the stars in the night sky and remember one special star that long ago announced Jesus’ birth. How do we know God cares for us? He sent His Son to be our Savior!
WE PRAY: Lord God, I know that You care for me because You sent Your Son to be my Savior. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you have a favorite natural space you’d like to help preserve—a forest, lake, desert, etc.?
- In what ways has God crowned humankind with glory and honor?
- How has mankind been a good steward of nature, how has he not?
Today's Readings:
1 Kings 1-2John 18:19-40