In the last study we looked at what God is to us. He is our goodness, our fortress, our high tower, our deliverer, our shield, the one in whom we can trust, and the one who brings peace to a nation. God is all these things. What is man? In Psalm 144:3 David asked that same question, “LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!” (Psalm 144:3)
Considering that God is so great and man is created by God, yet sinful and nothing without God’s help, what is man? Why would God take the time to be concerned with man and to take care of him? What are some of the things that God has done for man. Psalm eight explains, “5) Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6) Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7) All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8) The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” (verses 6-8) God created man in His own image and breathed into man the breath of life. God gave man a position just a little lower than the angels and crowned man with glory and honor. He also gave man dominion over the rest of creation.
Man has no power without God. Man has no breath of life without God. Man has sinned and rebelled against God. Yet God loves mankind. He loved mankind so much the Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) God showed His love to us in a special way, “But God commendeth [shows] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) There is no love surpassing the love of God.
Life on earth is very fleeting. Psalm 144:4 says, “Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.” A shadow lasts no more than a few hours. It lasts only while light is cast on the object making the shadow. James describes life on earth as “even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (See James 4:14) You know what it is like on a warm, sunny afternoon after a morning of rain -- water rises like vapor from the roads and from the trees. It looks quite pretty, but it lasts no more than a few hours. Our life is like that. It is but a brief moment. It lasts only a little time.
Though life is so short, as brief as a shadow or a vapor rising after the rain, God still cares for us. For those that fear Him, God will hear their prayer. He will come down and move mountains. “Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.” (Psalm 144:5) God moves mightily on behalf of His people when they come humbly before Him and entreat His favor. “There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” (Exodus 33:26,27a)
Though we are so weak, God is so strong. Though our life is but a vapor, God cares so much for us that He will ride through the heavens in His strength to help us and will move mountains, all the while holding us securely within the safety of His everlasting arms. Again, when we look at frail, mortal man, we cannot help but look with awe and wonder at Almighty, eternal God.
O God, we give thanks to Your name, that though we are weak and our life passes quickly away, we can look to You in confidence and trust and find You to be our strength and our refuge. Though we are nothing without You, You care for us so very much. For this we thank You and praise Your name.