CONSIDER

LAVA LAMPS

WHEN I WAS A KID I HAD A LAVA LAMP.

THEY WERE SO COOL.

IF YOU ARE POST-MILLENNIAL, YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO LOOK IT UP, BUT THEY WERE THESE MESMERIZING LITTLE TRIANGULAR-ISH CONTAINERS WITH A LIQUID IN IT. WHEN THE CONTAINER WOULD HEAT UP THERE WAS A SUBSTANCE INSIDE THAT WOULD FLOAT IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT SHAPES TO THE TOP AND THEN BACK DOWN.

NO SUBSTANCE-FLOAT WAS EVER THE SAME TWICE - MUCH LIKE WATCHING A FIRE OR THE OCEAN.

IT WAS FASCINATING.

THE PSALMIST IS MESMERIZED IN A SIMILAR KIND OF WAY IN PSALM 8:3.

PSALM 8:3-4

3 WHEN I LOOK AT [CONSIDER, GAZE AT, BEHOLD] YOUR HEAVENS, THE WORK OF YOUR FINGERS, THE MOON AND THE STARS, WHICH YOU HAVE SET IN PLACE, 4 WHAT IS MAN THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL OF HIM, AND THE SON OF MAN THAT YOU CARE FOR HIM?

THE PSALMIST IS MOST LIKELY SITTING OUTSIDE IN THE COOL OF THE MORNING, EVENING, OR NIGHT AND SEEING THE MOON DISAPPEAR AS THE SUN RISES, OR THE MOON BEGIN TO APPEAR AS THE SUN FADE BEHIND THE HORIZON, OR SIMPLY THE MULTITUDE OF STARS SURROUNDING THE MOON IN THE DARK OF NIGHT.

EITHER WAY, WHEN HE CONSIDERS HOW VAST THE CREATION IS IT CERTAINLY HUMBLES HIM: "WHY DO YOU EVEN MIND OR CARE FOR US?"

THE JOY OF SMALL

THE PSALMIST WILL RESPOND TO HIS OWN QUESTION IN STUNNING FASHION LATER, HOWEVER, FOR THE MOMENT IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT TAKING A POSTURE OF "CONSIDERING" THE VASTNESS OF THE CREATION WILL BEAT BACK OUR SELF-CENTEREDNESS, OUR SELF-AGRANIZATION, AND SELF-IMPORTANCE.

THIS IS A GREAT JOY.

IT'S A GREAT JOY TO REALIZE THAT WE ARE JUST NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL. WE ARE A SMALL SPECK IN A COSMIC UNIVERSE, AND SO OUR LIVES DON'T NEED TO CARRY THE WEIGHT OF MASS-IMPORTANCE OR UNDUE-SIGNIFICANCE.

KNOWING HOW SMALL WE ARE, WE CAN PURSUE BUILDING OUR FAMILIES, MOVING TOWARDS OUR GOALS, AND PURSUING OUR PASSIONS WITH A LIGHT-HEARTED PLAYFULNESS - KNOWING THAT WHEN WE CONSIDER THE HEAVENS WE ARE SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT, AND THAT IS AN EMPOWERING, JOYFILLED, SIGNIFICANT THING.