Have you ever heard the song “The Majesty and Glory of Your Name”? My choir was blessed to sing this on a mission trip a few years ago. Take a moment to look it up on YouTube and watch it. Go do it now. I’ll wait for you. J
Today, we’re looking at Psalm 8. These 9 verses were penned by David, and are
about God’s glory. God’s
name is majestic and His creation glorifies Him.
When we walk away from our time together today, I want
you to know The majestic and glorious
God wants a personal relationship with you.
Heavenly Father,
open our hearts and minds to understand Your desire for each of our lives: to
know and love You, and be in relationship with You through Your Son, Jesus
Christ. I ask this in His majestic name.
Amen.
Our text is divided into two parts, today:
1.Lord, how majestic is Your name (Psalm 8:1-2, 9)
2.The work of God’s fingers (Psalm 8:3-8)
Let’s dive right in to this amazing psalm.
Read Psalm 8:1-2.
In verse 1, there is another song: “O Lord, our Lord, how
majestic is Your name in all the earth…”
Have you ever sung that one? It’s
been a long time since I sang it. What
this tells us is: God’s very name is majestic!
At this name, every knee will, one day, bow. At this name, every tongue will confess. Jesus Christ is Lord! This name is Jesus! Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the
life. No one comes to the Father except
through Jesus. There is just something
about the name of Jesus! It warms the
heart. It stirs up conflict. Have you ever noticed that you can talk about
God all day long, but as soon as you mention the name Jesus, people put the
brakes on?!?!? Whoa! His name is wonderful! His name is power!!! Jesus.
Verse 2 declares that, through the praise of children and
infants, God has established a stronghold against God’s enemies. Think about this for a minute. You’ve probably heard of a stronghold being
described in a negative sense. Like a
bad habit. This stronghold is a good
thing. This stronghold is a protection
for God’s people.
And think about this: the stronghold is established
through the praise of children and infants.
We are supposed to come to God as a child. Innocent, without reservation, without a
hidden agenda, honest. Where could your
walk with Jesus use a bit of child-like wonder or joyful abandon?
This leads us to our first principle:
The name of God is
majestic.
How do you use the name of God? Do you tend to speak of “God” or “Jesus” when
you talk about Him? Why do you speak
that name? Do you still feel awe and
wonder and reverence when you say the name Jesus? Do you bow to the name Jesus at this point in
your life? If not, why not?
So, we’ve got a great foundation for praise so far! We’ve got the name of Jesus as the very
cornerstone of our structure! And
layered on top of that, we’ve got childlike praise! So sweet.
So pure. So strong. This is a great protection from our enemies!
Now let’s take a look at God’s creation.
Read Psalm 8:3-8.
Consider the heavens.
The work of God’s fingers. Can
you just imagine Him molding and shaping each plant with His hands? The moon and the stars. Placed meticulously in the night sky. When I gaze into the night sky…
What is man that You are mindful of Him? Oh, Lord, why do You care for us? We are so unworthy. You have made us a little lower than the
angels. He crowned us with glory and
honor. Wow! He made us rulers over the works of His
hands. We are stewards of His creation. He entrusted His creation to us! This is mind-blowing. Contemplate that for a few minutes. God trusts us to take care of His stuff!
Do you have a favorite animal? Elephants are fun! Giraffes are different! Gorillas are so cool! Sheep are dumb, but adorable! Sharks and whales and dolphins amaze me! And what about those fish that live at the
bottom of the ocean with the little “light bulb” on it’s head ??? David acknowledges the animal kingdom in
verses 7 and 8. Flocks, herds, wild
animals, birds, fish, all things that swim…
Oh my! How creative is our
God?!?!?! So many different life
forms! All shapes and sizes and colors! Complex organisms that function in incredible
ways! Created with unique biology. Created to live in different environments. How
brilliant is our God to be Master over all these scientific disciplines! Man is still learning all that Jesus knows!!!
And here is our final principle:
God’s creation
brings Him glory.
What is God’s creation has amazed you this week? Has a sunrise or sunset taken your breath
away? When was the last time you went
outside – or to the planetarium – to contemplate the sun, moon, stars, and
planets? When was your last trip to the
zoo where you could be amazed at all the different animals? Have you ever been to a botanical garden? Do you have a variety of plants at home that
could spark awe of the God Who created all these things?
So, we’ve got a foundation that is Jesus’ name. On top of that, we have a protective stronghold
of child-like praise. Upon that layer,
we have the heavens. The moon and
stars. And mankind, crowned with glory
and honor, and a little lower than the angels.
Man exercises stewardship over the flocks, herds, animals, birds, and fish,
and everything that swims!
I didn’t forget the last verse. Take a moment to read Psalm 8:9, now. This psalm in a nutshell is a declaration of
God’s majesty! These words declare the
majesty of God’s name. God’s creation
glorifies Him. God’s creation points
people back to God. Because God wants to
have a loving relationship with everyone.
He wants no one to perish. That
is why Jesus came to earth. Do you know
Him as your Savior? Do you have a
personal relationship with Him? Is He
your Best Friend? He should be. If this is not your reality, but you’d like
to change that, today, I will include a prayer for you to say. After you say this prayer, go find a
Christian friend who can bring you to a Bible preaching church. If you don’t have a Christian friend, go find
a Bible preaching church by talking to some Pastors about their churches and
what they preach. You can also check out
some church websites. Sometimes they
will post what they believe online. You
want to find a church that preaches the Bible and encourages you to read and
study the Bible for yourself. Go get a Bible. There are plenty of Bible apps for your
phone. I actually like the kind with
pages I can write on. Start reading the
Gospel of John. Get to know Jesus
there. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s
enlightenment as you read.
Prayer for salvation:
Father God, I recognize that I am a sinner in need of a
Savior. I acknowledge that Jesus is that
Savior. And I invite Jesus into my heart
and my life right now. I believe that
Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I
believe He rose again, conquering death, and that I will live with Him for all
eternity. Teach me to live for You. Guide me to the right church where I can
learn about You. Transform my heart and
mind to be more like Jesus. In His
majestic name. Amen.
Thank You, Father, for
the Psalms. Thank You for the writers of
the Psalms and that the words are recorded.
Transform my hearts and mind as I read them, and pray them back to
You. Draw me to a new level of
relationship with You because of what we’ve studied today. In the majestic name of Jesus. Amen.
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