You Don't Have to Be Epic
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.” Psalm 8:3-6
Our culture is obsessed with the word epic. If you search music playlists on YouTube, you are likely to find something along the lines of “Best, Most Epic Music Ever!” Movies are constantly described as epic and breathtaking (some of them are even named Epic).
We want to have epic adventures in our lives, we want to witness epic events, and see epic sights. But sometimes it’s really easy to feel small when we’re looking at all this epic-ness.
But nothing is more epic than God. David begins Psalm 8 talking about how majestic God is in all the earth. He talks about God’s glory being above the heavens, how God will still His enemies, and how even infants will proclaim God’s glory. When we think about how epic God really is, sometimes it can be hard to believe that he pays attention to us.
Even looking at God’s creation can sometimes produce this effect in us. Have you ever looked at the stars and suddenly felt very small? Have you ever wondered if God really thinks of you, just one person in billions? Do you ever feel like you have to do something epic to get God’s attention?
I think David felt this way too, as he asks God in verse four, “Who is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
I feel that a lot of times we simply stop with this thought. We stop with just asking, “Who am I that God loves me?” But that’s not the end of the story. This question has an answer—an epic one!
Because in the next verses, David describes just how much God really loves us. He loves us so much that he created us with glory and honor. He gave us dignity and worth, just for being who we are. He also gave us His creation to take care of.
Verse six says “You have given [us] dominion over the works of your hands.” God thinks the world of us—literally. He created the world and then handed it to us to enjoy and delight in. He doesn’t want us to feel small or unimportant when we look at all of the epic things around us, but loved and blessed. Because in Christ, it all belongs to us too.
We don’t have to become epic to get God’s attention or do anything on a grand scale to earn his love. We’ve already got it! And we’ve got His creation to explore this love in. Now that’s epic!