Together in Christ: 'A Very Good Place to Be' — Psalm 8:1, 3-5; Genesis 1:31

Thursday, January 12, 2023

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.

. . .

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers — the moon and the stars you set in place — what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.

. . .

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

— Psalm 8:1, 3-5; Genesis 1:31 NLT

Key Thought

The NASA Hubble Space Telescope has opened our eyes and minds to the vast expanse and incredible beauty of our universe. With air and light pollution so prevalent, especially in and around our cities, few of us got to see the sky in quite the same way as the psalmists who proclaimed the beauty of the night sky. The Hubble has restored our ability to see the stars and has also blessed us with a far greater understanding of space's vast beauty. The splendor of heaven's vast expanse should deepen our appreciation for God's careful and ordered creation as told in Genesis 1, which with God's declaration that all that He had made was "very good"!

We may not understand how the Creator did what He did, but we can celebrate the Creator's artistry. The beauty, enormity, and specificity of God's craftsmanship culminated with His fashioning humans. He made both male and female humans in His image. He created them to live in relationships with each other, naked and unashamed. God's creation of man and woman is final beautifully colored thread carefully woven into the tapestry of the universe that declares His glory. [1] Like the psalmists of old, we should join creation in praise of our majestic Creator Who blessed us with a "very good" place to be!

[1] Psalm 19:1-15, 24:1-12, 50:6, Psalm 148:1-14.

Today's Prayer

God of the universe and Lord of the Covenant, we praise you. Your work in creation is magnificent. Your attention to order, detail, and beauty is astounding. Your ability to know and care for each of us humbles us. Please forgive us for our lost sense of wonder at Who You are and what You created. Awaken us from our stupor of unthankfulness. We bow, both physically and emotionally, in amazement at your handiwork. Thank You for connecting us to such an incredible universe and bringing us into fellowship with people, creatures, and worlds as intricately made and specifically loved as we are. Give us hearts to treat each other and Your creation with greater reverence and awe because we know You, our Creator. We thank You, God, through the intercession of the Spirit and in the name of Jesus the Messiah. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Psalm 8:1-9, 19:1-6, 24:1-10
  • Psalm 139:13-16

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Illustration

Illustration of Psalm 8:1, 3-5; Genesis 1:31  NLT — O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.

. . .

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers — the moon and the stars you set in place — what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.

. . .

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

About This Devotional

Together in Christ is a daily devotional that focuses on what Scripture teaches about godly living in relationships.

'Together in Christ' is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.