God's Majesty and God's Glory
Scripture
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[a] that you care for them?5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God,[b]
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!
Reflection
I cannot read the transcendent poetry of Psalm 8 without hearing in my mind the classic choral anthem, The Majesty and Glory of Your Name, by Tom Fettke. I remember I first heard this anthem at a choir festival in St. Louis in 1983. It was a spiritually powerful experience planted firmly in my memory.
Before reading on, I encourage you to listen to this excellent arrangement for Men’s chorus performed at the American Choral Directors Association in 2010.
This psalm calls us to look beyond the challenges of the day to ponder the transcendence of God, the vast mysteries of the universe, and the depth of God’s love for humanity and all creation. This psalm lifts us out of the smallness of our lives to meditate on our place within the expansiveness of God.
We can get so wrapped up in the great issues of the day that our minds and hearts become smothered in anxiety. Yes, Covid-19 is the most destructive disease we have seen in a century. Yes, those who lack social, political, and financial power are oppressed by those who have it. Yes, the climate of our planet is moving slowly and steadily toward self-destruction. But . . .
But . . . God is great and God is good. We exist within the love of God which is greater than all the disease, hatred, division, and suffering of our world.
Today, lift your concerns to God, all the issues that crowd your mind and cloud your heart, then listen to The Majesty and Glory of Your Name once again. Let go of your concerns and lose yourself in pure worship. Alleluia. Alleluia!
Greg Smith, Director of Legacy Ministry, First Baptist Church of Decatur