“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalms 8:1-9 NIV

The shepherd king had plenty of time in his youth to take in the vastness of God’s creation. David understood that God made everything, as far as the eye could see in the layers of the night sky.

I asked AI to tell me how big the universe is. Here is a summary of the answer given:

“The observable universe is roughly 93 billion light-years in diameter, but the true size of the universe is unknown because it is impossible to see its edge. The universe is expanding. It cannot be fully seen from Earth. It is unclear if the universe is infinite or finite.”

Combine this information with a shepherd boy sitting on a rock tending sheep on a night so clear it is as if you can see forever. The wonder of it all. Stars upon stars. Galaxies layered one after the other. The moon provides the night’s primary light, as it reflects the magnitude of the sun. The expansiveness of it all, created by God. Given all of this, David’s question of profound reflection is spot on: What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

The question is asked because the shepherd boy knew God. He was in active communication with him and trusted him with his life issues (lions, bears, giants, and brothers). Later, as king, David sought God and watched him protect, intercede, correct, discipline, provide, and bless him in ways that were so clear of God’s specific concern for him and the people of Israel.

There was a particular season of my life that was very difficult. Many nights, I spent outside around the campfire under the night sky, asking God of the universe to help me specifically. It was a long season. God made it clear that I was His and He was with me. One of the gifts he gave me was a song by Casting Crowns titled “Who am I?”. This song became an anthem, reminding me of God’s presence and faithfulness in my life because of who he is. Here is a Link should you care to listen.

Everyone is in the personal care and attention of God. He sent his son to intervene in our sin, rebellion, and separation. Through Christ he invites us to be in a profound relationship with him. He tends to the specifics of our lives. He loves and cares for us.

– Ed McDowell, CEO
Warm Beach Ministries