December 21 Devotion

Please read Psalm 8

I like this Psalm because it helps us put things into perspective. By putting and keeping things in perspective we can lead a more grateful, God-focused and joyful life. The Psalmist first focuses on the wonder of what God's hands have made, something almost too incredible to comprehend.

It is so humbling to try and imagine our place in the enormity of such a creation. As the Psalmist says, how can we be of much importance in the face of the grand things that God has put here? Rather than be discouraged by his seeming insignificance, the writer is mindful of how important we really are because we have been chosen to be "a little lower than God." WOW!!

Rather than being insignificant, God values us so much that he sets us apart from the rest of creation and trusts us enough to put us in charge of things. Why would He give us such a purpose knowing our propensity to sin and inability to resist temptation? He obviously has enormous faith in us, and He fervently hopes that we will have faith enough in Him to let Him guide us in properly carrying out our responsibility to manage his magnificent world. I can't help but wonder how He feels when He sees us being so busy trying to gain dominion over each other that we ignore the portions of the world where people don't have enough to eat and live in horrible conditions. He even sent His son to us to teach us that the way to live and treat each other is to be loving and tolerant, not greedy for things or lands or kingdoms, and certainly not to destroy others in His name.

Will we ever get it before it's too late? Will we manage our creation so that we can feed the hungry, clothe the naked and house the homeless even if it means sacrifice on our part? Will we respond to the gift of this earth with thankfulness and respect and try to save it for the coming generations? I believe that with the anticipation and celebration of Jesus' birth each year we have an opportunity to reevaluate, to put things into perspective and to change our ideas and actions in order to move closer to the people whom the Psalmist describes as a "little lower than God."

Prayer: Gracious and loving God, thank you for creating us and loving us so much that you have entrusted us with the amazing gifts of our world and of your son. May we show our thanks by living the way Jesus instructed and by cherishing and respecting that which you have so lovingly placed within our control. Amen.

Mary Taylor