(REFLECTION ON PSALM 8 AND 2 SAMUEL 7)

Last Saturday, before the new school year began, our Kids Club went camping on Yangmingshan. In the evening, I shared Psalm 8 with the children and parents. This psalm, attributed to David, is a song of awe at the majesty of God’s creation and the smallness of humanity under the vast sky.

It is interesting to imagine young David, the shepherd boy. He likely spent many nights in a tent, under a sky full of stars. That was his everyday experience—sleeping outdoors, gazing at the heavens, and feeling both wonder and humility before God.

Later in life, David‘s situation changed dramatically. As 2 Samuel 7 records, David became king, established his capital in Jerusalem, and united the kingdom. He no longer lived in a tent, but in a palace. One day he reflected on his comfort and wanted to build a permanent temple for the ark of God. Yet God said no: “Did I ever complain about dwelling in a tent?” God reminded David that He is not a God bound by walls or human control. He is a God who moves freely, present among His people wherever they go.

We humans often try to domesticate God, to put Him inside a box we can manage. But God is bigger than our plans. He is the God of the tent, the God who delights to journey with His people.

Psalm 8 brings us back to that tent and that open sky. Three thousand years ago, without city lights or glowing screens, people could see the stars clearly every night. That endless sky spoke of God‘s majesty. And under that sky, people were reminded of their own smallness: “What is man that You are mindful of him?” Yet in that smallness lies dignity too—God crowns humanity with honor and gives responsibility over creation.

For us in Taipei, the night sky is often hidden. Our children grow up under neon signs, not constellations. Their eyes are filled with homework, devices, and indoor lights. That‘s why our camping trip was so precious. Sleeping in tents, looking at the stars, we tasted again the world of Psalm 8—the world where God‘s greatness is visible, and our own lives find their true perspective.

As the school year begins, life will get busy. Assignments will pile up. The noise and brightness of the city will press in. But let us not forget the starlit world of Psalm 8. Let us remember the God who cannot be contained, the God whose glory fills the heavens, and who yet remembers us. And when we feel small, let that smallness be a gift—because in our weakness, we see God‘s greatness most clearly.

Prayer: Lord, grant us wisdom to see people not as simple roles, but as whole persons. Give us courage to act justly, compassion to understand deeply, and grace to follow You in the midst of human complexity.

Rev. Lian Chin-Siong