March 10th, 2025
“When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?”
Have you ever taken a moment to pause and truly consider how amazing this thing we call life is? In the busyness of our everyday lives, it can be easy to never really reflect on the awesomeness of our world.
Here are a few facts about life that I bet you didn’t know:
There are trees in Africa called Acacia trees that communicate with each other. They emit gas to get others to produce a toxin that protects them from being eaten. (1)
Astronomers estimate the Milky Way could contain 10 billion other Earth-like planets. By the way, the Milky Way is only one of a potential 100 billion to 2 trillion galaxies. (2)
Although unknown, research suggests an estimated 8.7 million different plant, animal, and fungi species exist in the ocean, much of which we have yet to discover. (3)
The Sun is so much larger than Earth that if Earth were a nickel, the Sun would be the size of a house's front door. (4)
Our world is incredible! And yet, it's not the Sun, moon, or stars God values most in creation. God chooses humanity as his crown jewel, selecting humans to be those who will be made in his image (Genesis 1:26-28). David, the Psalmist, recognizes this unfathomable choice by God, as he states, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” In response to these things, David spends the rest of the Psalm detailing the honour God has given us to be made in his image and praising God for how great his name and loving choice of us!
The King of Kings loves you so much that he has chosen you to bear his image, representing his kingship in the world! This fact should cause us to pause in celebration because, as David asked, what indeed is mankind that God would care for and love us so much to bestow us such an honour?
There’s nothing we can offer God; he’s God and owns everything.
We can accomplish no special task for God; he can achieve things on his own.
We cannot do enough good deeds for God; if anything, our sins are more of a headache for Him.
So what about humanity has made God choose to love us uniquely? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He loves and crowned us with the honour of being made in his image simply because God chose. Our lives have value because of this truth.
Can we be honest for a moment? It can be challenging for us to find our meaning and worth in truths other than this one. Social media will tell us that we’re only as valuable as the attention we can garner through likes and followers. The beauty industry will tell us we’re only as valuable as our looks and attire. School, and even sometimes our parents, may tell us that our achievements make us worthy. The list can go on about the things we find our value in or are told to find our value in. The harsh reality, however, of any place we find our worth outside of Christ is that all these things are temporary and can be taken away.
Someday, you won’t look as pretty, you’ll perform poorly, people will stop giving you attention, and the things you find your worth in will fade. But one thing that will never fade or be taken away from you is that you have been made in God’s image and are uniquely loved by God. This eternal truth is one to hang our hats on. His choice of humanity makes you and other humans immeasurably valuable!
Challenge This Week
It is truly incredible to think that the God of the universe thinks about us and loves us dearly. Take time this week to read and meditate on Psalm 139:1-18. Journal one thing that stood out from your reading, and ask God to help you remember how valuable you are to him.
Sources
(1) https://www.ef.com/ca/blog/language/unbelievable-facts-make-you-seem-cultured/
(2) https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/15-awe-inspiring-astronomy-discoveries
(3) https://www.usgs.gov/programs/cmhrp/news/top-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-ocean
(4) https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/