10/31/2024
Yesterday was pumpkin carving day at our house—or should I say, pumpkin “decorating” day, minus the usual knives and gooey insides.
Usually, Kenna and I go all out: cut off the pumpkin’s “head,” scoop out its guts, and make faces scary enough to send the neighbors running.
But life’s been nuts lately, so I’ve been at the car lot late. Beth, being the wise one, decided to give the girls paints and markers instead.
Less mess, less danger, and still all the fun.
Watching them made me think of Psalm 8:3-4, where David looks up at the vast night sky and says, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
The big idea here is one that’s hard to ignore: the God who made everything, who set every star in place, still thinks about us.
And just like Beth’s quick thinking created a new way to carve pumpkins, God creatively and personally meets us where we are.
Gospel at Work
Psalm 8 is a reminder of two things: the majesty of God and His incredible love for us. In our fallen condition, we tend to overlook this love.
We fill our days with endless to-do lists and often forget how much God actually cares for us.
Just like my work kept me from spending as much time with my girls, we can be “too busy” for God.
We get caught up in our lives and miss the wonder that He wants to share with us.
The Fallen Condition
In our human condition, we’re naturally self-focused. It’s like thinking that carving a pumpkin is only “real” if it’s messy and complicated.
We tend to think that we have to be enough, do enough, and impress enough to matter.
But that’s our broken nature talking.
We’ve forgotten our value as God’s creation and instead base it on how productive or successful we are.
Christ Connection
Here’s where the Gospel hits home. Christ, God’s own Son, came down to show us that our value isn’t based on what we do, but on who God is.
Through Jesus, we see that God’s love doesn’t require us to be flawless or to perform some spiritual version of a “perfect carving.”
Jesus came to bridge that gap, to remind us that our worth is in being God’s children, not in how much we accomplish.
Application
So, here’s my takeaway: don’t get caught up in the mess and danger of trying to “do” enough or be enough to earn God’s love.
Instead, embrace the freedom of being known and loved by Him just as you are.
You don’t have to carve a masterpiece out of your life for it to be meaningful.
Paint your pumpkins with what you have—God is there, smiling, proud of you for just being His.
Next time you feel like you’re just “not enough,” look up at the stars, remember who placed them, and know that He’s thinking of you.
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