Week 14: Psalm 8

Psalm 8

In tenth grade biology class, I remember watching an infamous video entitled “The Miracle of Life” in which a woman gives birth. I closed my eyes and attempted to block out images that I was not prepared to see. As a squeamish and naive high schooler, I wanted nothing to do with the technicalities behind this so-called “miracle.” All I knew was that I was scarred for life after watching the birthing process. Anyone else?

Even still, I always knew I wanted to be a mother. As I consider the process it took to get there, I am even more grateful and in awe of this true miracle of life. My husband and I dealt with a couple years of infertility before we were able to conceive. Those years held some of my darkest moments, as the lie I had to constantly battle was “Am I worth anything if I cannot be a mother?” 

In this week's psalm, we see the incredible worth God bestows upon us, simply because we are made in His image. Verses 3-4 say, “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?” 

David is essentially saying, “Lord, Your world is infinitely beautiful. I cannot compare it with anything else. Your beauty is astounding. And yet in the midst of making this incredible world full of wonders, you made me and care for me? How can it be?”

The fact that the Lord allowed me to become a mother, first through foster care, and then through biology, is the greatest miracle of my life. Not a day goes by that I don't have to nearly pinch myself as I realize that I have the incredible gift of mothering. It is also the hardest thing I have ever done. There are days when I want to run away and go live on a private island. But I get the privilege, joy, and honor of stewarding tiny souls and watching Jesus work in their hearts, and there is truly beauty in the midst of the mess. 

Do you think this is how our Heavenly Father feels about us? So often, we think that maybe God is mad at us or disappointed in us—we just don't measure up and never will, so why try? But what if we align our thoughts with the truth of who He is and who He says we are? Verses 5-6 say, “Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands.” 

God has not only called us His own, but He has given us great glory and honor by creating us in His image. He has given us a responsibility to cultivate the life He has given us. Hard work was not a result of the fall. In Genesis, God gave the land to Adam and Eve to cultivate. We were made to enjoy the life God has given us, yes. But we do so when we have purpose and intention that marks our days. 

Our role is not to live a life of ease and comfort, but rather to work hard, enjoy the fruits of our labor, and point others to the goodness and glory of God. So whether you're mothering, nursing, teaching, accounting, lawyering, painting, barista-ing—do it all for His glory, knowing that His majestic name will be praised through all the earth when we partner with Him in cultivating a life well lived. Know that whatever roles you have here on earth don't define you—your Heavenly Father is the one who defines you and gives you worth, simply because you are His.  

P.S. I can't read this psalm without hearing this song in my head. Did anyone else grow up listening to this song? It is amazing how the songs of our childhood never seem to leave us. 

P.P.S. Don't forget to share about what you're learning each week in the comments of our weekly post on Instagram! 

-Jessica