Strength and Praise

Meditations on the Psalms

July 13, 2022

Strength and Praise

 

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—

    the moon and the stars you set in place—

what are mere mortals that you should think about them,

    human beings that you should care for them?

Psalm 8:3-4

Psalm 8 is a beautiful psalm of praise for God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, who so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.

Whenever I read the Psalm, I recall two personal experiences with its majesty. First, I remember a time when I had been visiting churches in Mexico several miles south of Matamoros. It was late on a Sunday evening, and I had just finished preaching in the last church service for the day. My host took me to the home of one of his parishioners for supper. There was no ambient light and it was very dark. As I looked up into the night sky, I was overwhelmed with the beauty, the majesty, of countless thousands of stars. My host immediately began quoting Psalm 8:3,

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—

the moon and the stars you set in place—“

The second experience was my discovery of Jesus in this Psalm. The New Testament writers clearly thought Jesus was the mortal described in vv. 5-8. (See 1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:22; and Hebrews 2: 5-8) Also, Jesus quoted this psalm, but in doing so added his own interpretation. His insight has fascinated me for years.

Verse 2 states, “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength” (NASB). At Matthew 21:16, Jesus quotes this verse saying, “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’” (NASB).

So which is it? Has God ordained strength or praise out of the mouths of infants and babes?

My Takeaway: It is both. Our strength comes from our praise of the LORD.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.