Who am I?
A few years ago, one of my favorite Christian music groups, Casting Crowns, had a hit song titled Who Am I? In the opening verse the lead singer, Mark Hall, asks:
“Who am I that the Lord of all the Earth would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt? Who am I that the Bright and Morning Star would choose to light the way for my ever-wondering heart? Not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done. Not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are! I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind. Still You hear when I’m calling, You catch me when I’m falling and You tell me who I am—I am Yours. I am Yours!”
The message of that song—plainly and powerfully conveyed—is that no matter how small or insignificant you may feel, the Lord of all the Earth not only knows your name, but has made you special and calls you His own.
A long time ago, in land far, far away, another great song writer wrote a similar hymn with the same message. When David considered the majesty and greatness of God, he felt insignificant by comparison. In Psalm 8, David stands in awe of the majesty of the Lord. And when he realizes just how vast and magnificent God truly is, he’s even more amazed that God would take the time to notice him—a mere mortal man.
In this beautiful expression of praise to God, David stands amazed that the God of creation, the great and glorious Yahweh, would pay attention to the frail people of earth. That God should focus attention and lavish His love on us is proof of our dignity as creatures made in the image of God. We discover our true value and worth only when we make God the reference point of our lives. In other words, you matter because you matter to God. Apart from knowing God, we have no understanding of who we really are or what role we’re supposed to play in this great universe.
So as David sat back, with his quill in one hand and parchment in the other, to reflect on God’s glory and majesty he struggled with many deep questions that we still face today: Who am I? What is man that you would take thought of him? Who am I that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name? Whenever we feel worthless, the words of this psalm should encourage us. We and all other human beings are valuable because God Himself created us in His own glorious image, cares for us with unrelenting love, and crowns us with glory and honor.
