God is Mindful of us

1. Introduction

Please turn in your bibles to Psalm 8 The Holy Bible, New International Version, Pradis CD-ROM:Ps 8:1 through Ps 8:9, Book Version: 5.1.1 ^{Ps 8:1} O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. ^{Ps 8:2} From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. ^{Ps 8:3} When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, ^{Ps 8:4} what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? ^{Ps 8:5} You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. ^{Ps 8:6} You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: ^{Ps 8:7} all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, ^{Ps 8:8} the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. ^{Ps 8:9} O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! I cannot get my mind away from a question David asks in this Psalm and I want to ask you to get your head into this question too. It is the question in verse four

Ps 8:4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

It begins with a focus on you and me – What is man? It asks the question in two ways. What is man? And What is the son of man? Lets not be in any doubt here this is an inclusive question. He is asking What is it about Tim Blake What is it about Carol Punshon what is it about…. He is trying to understand this. If ever there was a song that starts by making us feel small this is it. What can possibly interest God in you. First of all physically, but then emotionally, But most importantly Spiritually. What can it possibly be about us. Against the backdrop of space the scale of it all. What is man? I am also struck then by how this interest is described generationally The son of man What does God see in our kids? Yep sure we love them- We love them with a fire of love. But they muck up and we know it. We’ve seen it. David & Sam & Leah It is generational. Our children and our Children’s Children. What can possibly even attract God’s attention our way? You can see the songwriter here wants to really press the point home ‘cos he has started with painting the BIG picture. The problem with his big picture is that it was painted in about 600 BC We now know so much more!! I am determined to begin by setting the scale right. What is it about man against the backdrop of space and against the generations of time?

2. Mindful

Man must be something. He must occupy some role in the cosmos. The songwriter says he does. Later in the psalm he describes him as little lower than the angels but these titles have little meaning to me I remain stuck in verse four. It is verse four that grips me that moves me. Why? One word.

Mindful- What is man that you are _________________ of him

Let’s say that word together let it sink in- you are mindful of him. Here it is at the core of our faith God is mindful of me.

His mind is full of me.
He is preoccupied by me.
His mind is always reflecting on the quality of His relationship with me and on alllll those things He might do to deepen and strengthen and enlarge and enrich that relationship with me.

That relationship with me has dominated His thinking since before the world began and it will preoccupy Him for all eternity. Is that arrogant or just wishful thinking or stupidity on my part. Lets dot a few verses around the room Psalm 139 Ephesians 2:10 You know it does not end there. It is not just thoughts or even words. He is prepared to put his commitment to our relationship into action. The Holy Bible, New International Version, Pradis CD-ROM:Heb 1:1 through Heb 1:3, Book Version: 5.1.1 ^{Heb 1:1} In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ^{Heb 1:2} but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. ^{Heb 1:3} The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. What began with declarations of word Becomes action in the word made flesh Jesus. He is mindful - As Mary knew when she sang The Holy Bible, New International Version, Pradis CD-ROM:Lk 1:46 through Lk 1:49, Book Version: 5.1.1 “My soul glorifies the Lord ^{Lk 1:47} and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ^{Lk 1:48} for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, ^{Lk 1:49} for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.

What this Psalm shows us is that God Almighty chooses YES chooses to connect His glory to the success or otherwise of the redemption of mankind.

We know this because He invests His glory – The son is the radiance of God’s glory the writer in Hebrews says. He invests it in Jesus thus tying His own glory to the completion of the work of salvation. Now some other versions don’t have mindful but that’s great cos it means we get to explore verse 4 some more. So lets have some others New American Standard Bible Update, Pradis CD-ROM:PS 8:4, Book Version: 5.1.50 ^{PS 8:4} What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Pradis CD-ROM:Ps 8:3. Colorado Springs: NavPress Publishing Group, © 2002, 2005. Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Pradis CD-ROM:Ps 8:4, Book Version: 5.1.50 ^{Ps 8:4} what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? The Holy Bible, King James Version, Pradis CD-ROM:Ps 8:4, Book Version: 5.1.50 ^{Ps 8:4} What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

3. A Caring God

It is truly wonderful to know that God has us in his mind and thought and that he expressed this perfectly in Christ. But the second part of verse four takes us deeper into the heart of God What is … the son of man that He cares for him. Care is a personal expression of love. There are so many people that would love to turn God into a impersonal force. This ensures two things.

That they can swing in any direction they like when speaking of god –from mystical force to nothing at all
They are exempted from any personal commitment to god

This psalm places God firmly as a person with a heart for me and a desire for my best- He cares for me. The Amplified Bible, Pradis CD-ROM:1Pe 5:7, Book Version: 5.1.50 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. Psalm 121 Also stresses the caring heart of God. We can truly lay every burden at the foot of the Cross. He cares enough to heal and to strengthen and to save (Author: Tim Blake)

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