Psalm 8

"Geese in the Dust," Mike Landwehr

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"
-Psalm 8:3-4

Psalm 8 is one of the familiars---like coming home--I know its imagery well.  Verses 3 & 4 are the heart of this psalm, with rest pivoting around them.  I imagine David beneath the stars, out in nature, shepherding perhaps, or recalling his shepherding days, and wondering at His creation--the moon and the stars.

In light of that, why would God bother with man? It's a good question and a great honor.  I love David's humility--that instead of wondering why God isn't making his life on earth just the way he prefers it, he is instead wondering why God bothers with us at all.

He acknowledges that He brings praise from infants. What does this mean?  I imagine it to be similar to what Jesus said to the Pharisees, that the Lord could bring descendents out of rocks if He liked.  The Lord speaks through His creation---through the creatures He fills with His Spirit and calls to praise.

 David also ponders our dominion over creation.  Not only did God create the beautifully complex physical world--a marvel in itself, but He gave us a privilege to have dominion over it.  What does dominion mean in that context?

I  think of it as less of "reign" and more of a responsibility, a stewardship.  It is "power," and no one can dispute that we have a sort of power over the creatures in this world and the larger environment (though not complete power).  I think it is a power we need to hold with heavy hands---with weight and respect for the Creator and His creation.