Brown's Daily Word 8-23-07

Good Morning.
Many of us heard the story of an old man, walking the beach at dawn, who noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up with the youth, he asked what he was doing.
His answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun.
"But the beach goes on for miles and miles, and there are millions of starfish," countered the man. "How can your effort make any difference?"
The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to safety in the waves. "It makes a difference to this one," he said.

Sometimes we think that what we do doesn’t amount to much. In Psam 8. king David, ponders anew, what the Almighty can do.
We wonder if anyone even notices us, or would miss us if we weren’t in the room
Some folks even get to wondering if God stills notices them; they feel unimportant
We feel insignificant; how can God notice me? I’m no one special…
When David considered the majesty of God, he felt insignificant too
Like the young man throwing starfish back into the sea…seems like a meaningless task, yet how important he was to the one whose life he saved!
In Psalm 8, David marvels that the glorious Lord of heaven, whose name is excellent, should graciously use people in the earth’s dominion.
This passage considers the dignity of mankind as God’s representatives on earth

David knows the Lord personally. He calls Him YAHWEH (O LORD), then ADONAY (OUR LORD) The Sovereign, or Master over all creation. Set your glory…above the heavens.
We can just imagine David lying on the ground on a dark, starry night; looking up at the stars in the heavens, and considering the God that made it all
One of my favorite things when I was a boy…something we lose as we grow older, is our FASCINATION WITH God. We love, revere, respect and fear; but are we still fascinated with Him?
David was fascinated with his Lord. He hadn’t outgrown it.
God uses the strength of CHILDREN to silence His enemies
So powerful, he needs only man to represent Him on earth. Mankind, even children and infants represent the strength of God
God has ordained that the weak shall confound the strong (1 Cor. 1:27)
David understood that HIS WEAKNESS became GODS’ STRENGTH
In our weakness, God uses us too. In fact, God gets the best results from us when we are at our weakest! It’s then that we don’t interfere with His plan.
We’re back to David lying on the ground, staring at the heavens
He is overwhelmed that God would entrust such a marvelous creation to man, who is here today and gone tomorrow
What is “man”? The Hebrew word used here is e-nos, (mortal, weak man)
This rhetorical question emphasizes the insignificance of man in the scope of Gods’ creation. YET GOD CARES FOR HIM IMMENSELY!
David is amazed that God would elevate finite man to such a high position (v.5)
(6-8) A final reflection on man’s position as Gods’ representative on earth.
a) All things under his feet; even the least important efforts of man are important to God
David concludes with the same expression of praise for his Lord (ADONAY)
He accepts that while he is finite in the universe, he is CHERISHED BY HIS God
Even the insignificant are significant in Gods’ eyes
We are His creation; His delight; His representatives on the earth
The next time we feel unimportant or insignificant, let us REMEMBER HOW God THINKS OF US.
In Love ,
Brown

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson


My Kind of Barber


A florist went to a barbershop to get a haircut. After the cut, he asked about his bill and the barber replied, "I'm sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I'm doing community service this week." The florist was pleased and left the shop. The next morning when the barber arrived at his shop to open, he found a thank you card and a dozen roses waiting for him at the door.



Later, a policeman came for a haircut. When he started to pay his bill the barber again replied, "I'm sorry, I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community service this week." The policeman left the shop with a smile. The next morning when the barber arrived to open his shop, he found a thank you card and a dozen donuts waiting at the door.



Then a Baptist preacher came in for a haircut. When he started to pay his bill the barber again replied, "I'm sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I'm doing community service this week." The Baptist preacher was very happy and left the shop.



The next morning when the barber arrived to open the shop, he found a dozen Baptist preachers lined up, waiting for their free haircuts!