Selie Visa
1st Scripture Passage
Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore.From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,who stoops down to look at the heavens and the earth?He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;He seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.
Psalms 113:1-9 NIV
You are not insignificant
God receives praise from his people. His people are not servants of sin, nor of Satan, nor men, but of God and Christ. They serve the Lord willingly and cheerfully. As servants of the Lord, they know him best and receive his favors. The name of God represents all his attributes. Not any particular name (as Jehovah) but him himself, and the perfections of his nature; his holiness, justice, truth, faithfulness, power, goodness, grace, and mercy. The Lord is greatly to be praised. God's name ought to be praised in every place from East to West and both now and forever.
The Lord is the Most High on all the earth. He is higher than the highest. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. All nations are made by him and are under his dominion. The glory of the Lord shines in heaven and earth. The Light of God gives all things the power to exist. The Creator is above His Creation.
Our Lord has his dwelling, his throne, in the heavens above far beyond human imagination. So high and exalted that it requires infinite condescension to look upon the earth, or even upon the heavens. There is no one greater in heaven or earth than the LORD our God. He is seated so high that it is necessary he should stoop even to behold the things which seem most lofty to us. The Lord is enthroned so how that it requires him to stoop, even to look at the sun, the stars, and the distant worlds.
But our Lord does stoop to look at heaven and earth which he has made. There is not a world that he does not survey constantly. Not a creature whose interests he does not regard. Not an insect, a flower, or an atom that he does not regard. Above all, God cares about us and is concerned with every area of our lives. His compassion reaches out to the poor and needy. He can turn the sorrow of a barren woman into the joy of motherhood, which is saying that with God nothing is impossible. Ultimately, God took on flesh and blood and dwelt amongst man. He stooped down to reach us because we cannot rise to where he is. Christ came to save those who are poor in spirit. He cares for us. We are not insignificant. Count your worth according to the precious blood of Christ, the sacrificial lamb without blemish or defect.
2ndScripture Passage
When I consider 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, the son of man that you care for him?
Psalm 8:3-4 NIV
God is mindful of you
The Creator has established two spheres: heaven and earth. The heavenly bodies all have their appointed place. In comparison to the vastness of space, the order, and the importance of the heavenly bodies, mankind is rather insignificant. The word "man" is a poetic word for a human being in his frail human existence. Our puny presence in the vast and limitless universe is humbling.
Note: We have no way of knowing how many galaxies there are in the limitless outer space. The five closest galaxies to the Milky Way are Andromeda, Triangulum galaxy, Cigar galaxy, Sculptor galaxy, and Bodes galaxy.
Human beings are, by nature, mere earthlings. Yet they are not worthless. They are special because they are the particular objects of God's attention. The Creator has invested glory and honor in them. God is mindful of them. God cares for mankind. He remembers them and acts positively on behalf of the human race. Were God to withhold his loving grace, there would be nothing in the soul of man but sin, darkness, hardness, corruption, and death.Instead of sending mankind with judgment which they deserve for their sins, God's goodness extends to all. He is love. His love is supremely expressed when he sent his Son to die for our sins so that we might enjoy eternal life in his presence.
