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?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
Psalm 8:3-6

---

My confidence in many areas of my life was waning, if it was even there at all, and I knew I needed the nearness of my Father. So I took off to the mountains of Colorado in the middle of winter with no agenda except to rest and seek Him. 

On the second day of my trip, I drove carefully up the mountain roads trying to keep my eyes on the road in front of me while also taking in the breathtaking views as I gained more and more elevation. Finally, I arrived at the spot. No other cars were at the unremarkable trailhead. I opened the door and looked out to the trail. The snow was deep—like multiple feet deep—and it shimmered in the bright sun. I was ready. My first solo hike and only my second time in snow shoes. 

With one step, I breathed in “El Roi,” (which means God who sees), and with the next, I breathed out, “Be my confidence.” I was new to breath prayers, but gosh, this was delightful. As I wandered the trail that showed the signs of others having been there earlier in the day, I was completely alone. The only sounds were my faint voice and the wind whistling through the dark green pine trees. 

As I hiked through deep snow, eventually, the treeline disappeared. I looked up. A rock cairn. I hadn’t seen one in years, despite all the hiking I had done, but there it was. For me, this pile of rocks holds significant meaning that we don’t have space in a devotional like this to dive into, but let’s just say I knew it was God winking at me. 

As I wandered into the open air at 11,500 feet, I could see for miles and miles. I noticed the footprints that had helped guide me through the trees disappeared as the snow swirled and twirled in the wind. And then, after seeing the rock cairn and noticing the missing snow prints, I sensed the gentle voice, ”Your confidence comes from me. And sometimes you will follow in the footprints of others and other times I will lead you to be the footprint maker.”

In today’s verse, David was blown away by the grandeur of creation and could not believe that God, who made us in His image,  would be mindful of us. This is how I felt that day on the top of that mountain. The sense of wonder and awe that filled my whole being, knowing that the God of the Universe, who created this mountain I was standing on, just met me right where I needed, blew my mind. Who am I that the Uncreated One would speak to me? The answer: I’m His kid. And you are too. 

Next Steps

How do you see yourself in light of God? How do you view other people in light of God? Entitlement is incompatible with humility. But so is a denial of who you are as God’s image bearer. Take a few moments today and consider your answer to those questions. Talk with God about what you uncover.