“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:4 NKJV)
“Why would you bother with puny, mortal man or care for human beings?” (Psalm 8:4 TPT)
“What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” (Psalm 8:4 NLT)
“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? (Psalm 8;4 AMP)
“What is man that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him.” (Psalm 8:4 HCSB)
“What is man, that you remember him, and a son of man that you visit him?” (Psalm 8:4 ABIPE)
Who am I?
How I answer that question will have huge ramifications on every area of my life, and the lives of those around me. If I think too much of myself then I will live with an unhealthy view of those around me. If I think too little of myself then that will give me an unhealthy view of myself.
In Psalm 8:4 David is searching for identity. He knows that his true value comes from identity. It is my identity that will determine how I live. my understanding of my identity will impact the value I place on myself and those around me. How I see myself will determine what I attempt to accomplish and acheive. Identity is critical to every aspect of life.
David begins verse 4 by exposing his less than stellar view of himself, and the entire human race. He refers to all of us as “mere mortals.” In one translation he states that we are “puny.” Because of his low self image he cannot understand how the Creator could think about him. How could He even take time to remember me? After all, I am not worth His time. David is missing the fact that we are created in the image and likeness of God.
To David’s credit, he is looking in the right direction to figure out his value. If I want to know the true value of something I need to look first at where it came from (who created it). I also need to consider the price that someone is willing to pay for it.
Today I am going to take time to allow Daddy to begin deepening my understanding of How He sees me. My true identity is found in Him. I want to see myself as He sees me. That is what I am looking for as I meditate on…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 264: Life’s Divine Design (Psalm 8) Part 5 – Verse 4