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?
Psalm 8:3-4
A NASA press release dated July 13, 1969, regarding the Apollo 11 mission that landed humans on the moon for the first time eight days later reads,
A small disc carrying statements by Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon and messages of goodwill from leaders of 73 countries around the world will be left on the Moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts.[1]
Do you know what else was on the small disc? Psalm 8, written by King David, was one of the “goodwill” messages on this fifty-cent piece sized disc.
Many people, much smarter than me, believe that Psalm 8 was one of David’s earliest Psalms—maybe even the first one he wrote. It was likely written as his mind drifted back to one of the many nights he gazed up at the sky while lying on a woolen blanket in the Judean hills. Mom had probably given it to him to wrap up and keep warm on those long, cold shepherding nights.
You see, absent the ambient illumination from streetlights, skyscrapers, and stadiums, the heavens look very different. The darkness of the sky almost disappears as jam-packed stars and other celestial bodies nearly stuff it full. If you’ve never witnessed it like that . . . wow! It is stellar (pun intended).
When our sons were 13 and 10, our family of four took an RV trip out west for a couple of weeks. It was the best trip ever. We landed in Denver, picked up a 39-foot motorcoach, and hit the road. At 3:00 AM that night, I got us completely lost on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere in Southern Wyoming. It had been hours since we’d seen the light of civilization.
We stopped to regroup, and I hopped out. For no particular reason, I looked up. Holy #incredibleosity Batman! That night sky was the most spectacular thing I’d ever seen.
At that time, I had been a Christian for about 18 months, but that was the night I “right-sized” God and “right-sized” myself as well. It was the most humbling experience ever.
The Complete Jewish Bible’s translation of Verse 4 provides a little more light (pun intended again) on the meaning.
What are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them; humans, that you watch over them with such care?
The very idea that the Creator and Hanger of all those “lights” was “mindful” of me was utterly shocking. In that moment I was overwhelmed. I felt infinitesimally small, yet immeasurably loved; so incredibly insignificant, yet filled with hope; so . . . . . . frail, yet robust. I will never forget, nor get over, that feeling. If you’ve never felt His presence like that, I pray that you will today.
Father, I’m overcome with awe and wonder at Your majesty—at the creative work of Your fingers—at the awesomeness of who You are. Lord, I’m even more overcome that You love and care for me the way You do. Thank You for loving me faithfully and steadfastly. In Your awesome name, Amen.
[1] (1974). NASA-marks 5th anniversary of first lunar landing. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/42895056.pdf
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