O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise because of Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what are humans that You are mindful of them, mortals that You care for them? Yet You made us a little lower than God, and crowned us with glory and honor. You have given us dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under our feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1-9)

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Fall is beautiful.

Think about it. The cool and brisk sunrise, the birds that chirp and sing, the dew that glistens in the light, the color of the trees, the leaves everywhere, the grassy fields blowing in the wind, the clouds that soar in the blue sky, the warmth of the sun's rays, the afternoon breeze, the colors of the sunset, the clarity of the stars, and the array of noises in the night.

Fall. Is. Beautiful.

In this Psalm, David is calling to mind all of those created beauties. He is bringing to the forefront of his thoughts just how intricate this world is.

And then he looks at himself...and remarks: "What are humans that You are mindful of them? How can You still see us when we are surrounded by all of this beauty? How do we compare to this? What are mortals that You still care for us?"

You see, though seasons are great, God has made you greater. Though fall is beautiful, awesome, and freeing...you are more.

And I believe that all of us - in different ways - need to realize the truth of this psalm. God has crowned us with glory and honor. No matter who we once were, what we've done, or where we've been... we have all been crowned with glory and honor through Him.

But this is not all. Because God cares for us more, He has given us more. We have "dominion" or ownership in this world; everything in it has been put under our feet. To grow, develop, redeem, and transform.

This means that as believers, we are called to realize the glory given to us and use it. Let me say that again...we are CALLED to realize the glory given to us and use it.

This means that today, we are to not be idle. Do not let it go by without you stepping in and taking ownership of your situation.

Be alert. Look around you. What needs attention? What needs to grow? What is broken that needs to be restored? What is lost that needs to be found? Who is hurting that needs to be comforted?

Realize the glory given to you and use it today.
Take ownership in the world around you.

Blessings,
Greg, Declare Glory