Because Saturday is usually tagged for preparing for my high school Sunday School class and Sunday starts early with final music team practice, it is very rare that I pull out my reading plan on the weekends. And so, if I’m going to keep up with a 25 days per month reading plan and take weekends off, then I need to get ahead in order to not get behind. Make sense? Nevertheless, its the “need” to keep ahead of the plan that sometimes has me taking in a “double portion” some mornings. This morning was one of those mornings. As such, I read Psalm 8 and Psalm 9 together . . . and together, as a duet of praise, they reminded me of a truth I picked up from Chuck Swindoll years and years ago . . .

Man is man, and nothing more . . . God is God, and nothing less.

In Psalm 8 the psalmist looks up . . . way up . . . and takes a few minutes to noodle on the heavens. He is blown away as he looks at the moon and the stars set in place, for He sees in the nighttime skies the work of the fingers of God (8:3). The fingers of God . . . fine motor skills . . . the work of an artist . . . far from some random big bang, everything is precisely formed and set in place. And so, says the Psalmist, “How majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens” (8:1) And then he asks the question, “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

Now, as I think about the things of creation, I perhaps could make an argument that mankind is the greatest of God’s creation. That men and women stand apart from all other works of His fingers because we were created in His triune image (Gen. 1:26). A body, the workings of which are absolutely beyond full appreciation . . . as I think, even now, of my heart pumping . . . my lungs taking in and distributing oxygen . . . and my brain, such as it is, trying to process what I’ve read as it tells my fingers what to type. And beyond the body I have a soul which defines the seat of who I am and which will exist forever . . . and a spirit which provides the means for connecting with things that transcend flesh and blood. Amazing creation, we human beings.

Sadly however, too many of us “works of wonder” stop there . . . believe our own press . . . think that we are top of the food chain . . . that it is about us . . . as Paul says we worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25).

Not the psalmist . . . he considers the glory of creation . . . and sees the evidence of the fingers of a God who is so big . . . and he says, “God who are we? I look at you macro-skies and my micro-self and wonder why you bother with us (MSG).” Far from thinking he’s the glory of creation, the psalmist is enraptured with the glory of the Creator and in awe that He would have a place for men and women in His amazing tapestry. “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name!” (8:9).

And then I read Psalm 9 . . . and the perspective continues . . . as does the praise. “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, I will recount all of your wonderful deeds (9:1) . . . the Lord sits enthroned forever (9:7) . . . the Lord is a stronghold (9:8) . . . sing praise to the Lord, tell among the peoples His deeds! (9:11)” Again, with the wonder of God’s person and marvels of God’s works churning within him . . . as he’s is moved to praise Him who is enthroned on high forever . . . the song-writer concludes, “Let the nations know that they are but men!” (9:20).

Yeah! . . . Amen! God is God, and nothing less. And man is man, nothing more.

Oh that I would never stop looking at the creation without it revealing the Creator. That I would never cease to be amazed that He who is high and lifted up, . . . that He who inhabits eternity, . . . that He whose name is Holy, . . . that He would desire to even look upon, much less dwell with, those who are broken and contrite in spirit (Isa 57:15)

O Lord, my Lord, how majestic is Your name!