Psalm 8

Divine Majesty and Human Dignity

To the leader: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; 4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?

5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

A man named Bruce Cochran which was printed in the Sept. ’96 issue of Backpacker magazine. The list is too long to read in its entirety, so I'm only going to mention a few:

• When using a public campground, a tuba placed on your picnic table will keep the campsites on either side vacant.

• A hot rock placed in your sleeping bag will keep your feet warm. A hot enchilada works almost as well, but the cheese sticks between your toes.

• Lint from your navel makes a handy fire starter. Warning: Remove lint from navel before applying the match.

• Take this simple test to see if you qualify for solo camping. Shine a flashlight into one ear. If the beam shines out the other ear, do not go into the woods alone.

• The guitar of the noisy teenager at the next campsite makes excellent kindling.

• Bear bells provide an element of safety for hikers in grizzly country. The tricky part is getting them on the bears.

Good suggestions for those of you who plan on going camping.

You may not be a camper. A friend of mine said his idea of “roughing it” is having to go down the hall for ice!

But some of you maybe ARE campers. We used to camp when the kids were younger – the ground has gotten harder over the years and some of the appeal has waned. But the memories of camping when the weather was perfect and the beauty of God’s creation on full display are memories I will always cherish.

I encourage you to take some time today and find the splendor of God in the wonder of God’s creation. I encourage you to find a star-filled night in a remote place and see the wonder of the heavens that God has set in the sky.

I encourage you to find time to look at those you love. An image that comes to mind for me was when my granddaughter who was about 5 years old at the time was holding her one month old cousin on her lap. She was amazed at the little fingers wrapped around her pinky. To see the wonder in her eyes was a wonder for me to behold.

I encourage you to take time today to cherish the gift, and give thanks to the Giver. God does some amazing work. How majestic!

Let us pray: Thank you, Creator God, for all you have made. It is very good, and we thank you! We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.