Big God of the small and weak (archives)

Some thoughts on Psalm 8 from this post...

God gets glory when he uses weak people to do his grand work. God silences and stops his enemies using the weakest members of the human race, even babies. The mouths of babies are not articulate, but out of these babbling mouths, God shows his stength (v.1-2). He paralyses the enemy with infants.

This method of God is stunning given his infinite power and glory. The entire vast universe is the work of his fingers. Everything has been designed and ordered by him. David stops in Psalm 8, points up and reminds us that behind the enormous glory of everything we can see, there is a God whose glory is bigger (v.1). Yet this very big God stoops to love and care for his creatures (v.4).

In all the bigness of the universe, God gives a unique privilege to humanity. He has given humanity honour, glory and dominion over the rest of his world (vv.5-8). Hear the echo of Genesis 1:26-28. God has given this dignity to all human beings, not just the fittest, strongest and fastest. This point is made when David singles out one of the weakest and least accomplished groups of humanity in this psalm (v.2). God includes the smallest and weakest of humanity in achieving his purposes.

I have clearly seen God at work this way in recent weeks and months. The brief, silent life of baby Matthew has been used to generate great praise for our great God. Matthew has achieved great things for God and the gospel, because God delights in using the small and weak. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!