The word "consider" is used in several places throughout the Bible
and it means, to think carefully about, contemplate, reflect on, etc. It's an
interesting study to go through the word of God and look at the things that God
tells us to consider. Because if God tells us to consider something, and then
we actually do it, considering what He tells us to is bound to be
rewarding. The things that God tells us to do are never pointless. If He tells
us to consider something, then it means that there is something He wants to
tell us through whatever it is He tells us to consider.
In Psalm chapter 8, David writes by inspiration of the Holy Spirit - "When I consider Thy heavens, the works of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him?" This verse often comes to mind when I'm walking on the parkway on a clear night. The first thing I want to point out is that David didn't say, "If I consider Thy heavens..." he said "When I consider Thy heavens..." Back in those days they didn't have all these electronic lights and devices to keep them entertained at night. After the sun went down they had basically two choices. They could either go to sleep or they could lay there awake. I'm sure David spent a good many nights lying out under the stars and considering Gods heavens. David spent many nights out in the wilderness lying under the stars. Early in his life he was a shepherd, and he would have spent the nights out in the fields with the sheep. Later in life he spent a good amount of time fleeing in the wilderness, first from Saul and then from Absalom. Every once in a while it would do us good to go outside at night and spend time just considering the heavens.
Another thing I want to mention is that often, when I hear this verse quoted it's quoted like this. "When I consider the heavens..." But every translation I've ever read says "When I consider Thy heavens..." The heavens belong to God and He takes credit for them. The very first verse in the Bible says - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." And on the forth day when He created the sun, moon and stars, we're told in verse 16 - "Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also." I love how it says that as though it were like a P.S. on the end of the verse. "Oh yeah, and He made the stars too." When I consider the heavens I think about how big they are, and how we are unable to reach the end of them. And to think that God created them, and is even bigger than they are because He holds them in His hand. He is so great and we are so small, and that's the same conclusion that David came to, cause he went on to say, "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?" Since God is so big and we are so small, why does God even bother with us? It's unthinkable that God would even listen to our prayers, but He went so far beyond that. God, the God who created the heavens and holds them in His hand, became like us. He came to this world as a human being and identified with us, He died a very shameful death bearing the sin of the world in His own body on the cross in order that we might have eternal life with Him. We would do well to consider His heavens more often, and come to the realization that He is everything, and we are nothing. It's not about us, it's all about Him.
Psalm 19:1-4 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."
In Psalm chapter 8, David writes by inspiration of the Holy Spirit - "When I consider Thy heavens, the works of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him?" This verse often comes to mind when I'm walking on the parkway on a clear night. The first thing I want to point out is that David didn't say, "If I consider Thy heavens..." he said "When I consider Thy heavens..." Back in those days they didn't have all these electronic lights and devices to keep them entertained at night. After the sun went down they had basically two choices. They could either go to sleep or they could lay there awake. I'm sure David spent a good many nights lying out under the stars and considering Gods heavens. David spent many nights out in the wilderness lying under the stars. Early in his life he was a shepherd, and he would have spent the nights out in the fields with the sheep. Later in life he spent a good amount of time fleeing in the wilderness, first from Saul and then from Absalom. Every once in a while it would do us good to go outside at night and spend time just considering the heavens.
Another thing I want to mention is that often, when I hear this verse quoted it's quoted like this. "When I consider the heavens..." But every translation I've ever read says "When I consider Thy heavens..." The heavens belong to God and He takes credit for them. The very first verse in the Bible says - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." And on the forth day when He created the sun, moon and stars, we're told in verse 16 - "Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also." I love how it says that as though it were like a P.S. on the end of the verse. "Oh yeah, and He made the stars too." When I consider the heavens I think about how big they are, and how we are unable to reach the end of them. And to think that God created them, and is even bigger than they are because He holds them in His hand. He is so great and we are so small, and that's the same conclusion that David came to, cause he went on to say, "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?" Since God is so big and we are so small, why does God even bother with us? It's unthinkable that God would even listen to our prayers, but He went so far beyond that. God, the God who created the heavens and holds them in His hand, became like us. He came to this world as a human being and identified with us, He died a very shameful death bearing the sin of the world in His own body on the cross in order that we might have eternal life with Him. We would do well to consider His heavens more often, and come to the realization that He is everything, and we are nothing. It's not about us, it's all about Him.
Psalm 19:1-4 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."
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