What is Man?

Psalm 8:3-4 – “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”

In general, man tends to have a rather inflated view of his importance in the world. Pride produces an exalted opinion of our contribution or worth. When one listens to the conversations of people, even very young people, he finds that they often think that the rest of the world basically revolves around them. One reason for this is our failure to see the bigger picture. However, the psalmist had a different perspective. He saw himself as a very small part of God’s great creation.

The vastness of God’s creation testifies to His magnificence. We should seek to comprehend and appreciate the grandeur of the world in which we live. The “heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars” are all a part of His creation and testify to God’s great power. He created everything and holds all things together. He created and controls millions of stars, feeds and waters the animals and birds, causes the wind to blow, and knows when every sparrow falls.

How is it that He could care about me? “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” Is it not amazing that He would take thought of us, not only generally, but also individually? He cares about us. He is concerned with our problems and our plans. We are in God’s thoughts today, as incredible as that may seem. He loves us and wants to help us. Not only is He “mindful” of us, but He also wants us to be mindful of Him. He wants us to seek His face and include Him in our ventures.

Not only has God shown an interest in our lives, but He also has proven His love in the fact that He “visitest him.” Jesus visited this planet to go to the cross and die for our sins, offering eternal life to all who will repent and trust Him for their salvation. The Holy Spirit has come to indwell and empower believers, enabling us to walk in victory and communion with our Savior. How is it that God would be so mindful of us and visit us? We are the objects of His love, the recipients of His mercy, and the focus of His attention.