Double it

"You know what I really need?" I whispered to the three year old, "A kiss."  She opened her arms and puckered her lips.  Wow!  I got what I needed.  It felt so good, I asked for another and she obliged.  I knew enough about three year olds to quit while I was ahead and savor this moment of joy!

I thought about double joy when I read through Psalm 8 this morning.  I noticed several times when David, the Psalm's author, repeated or reiterated a statement.  He was  impressed by God's heavens, the work of His fingers. He restated his amazement by mentioning God put the moon and stars (integral parts of the heaven we view) in place.  David was doubly amazed!

David acknowledges that God created man a  little lower than the angels.  God made man ruler over the works of His hands.   He restated the works of His hands with an itemized list: flocks, herds, wild animals, birds, fish and anything swimming in the sea.  All created by God and given to Man to be above.  David was doubly impressed.

David was so awed by the majesty of God that he opened and closed the Psalm with the same affirmation.   "O Lord our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!"  David was so overcome with the magnitude that he had to say it twice.  His amazement began and concluded with the wonder of God.

We live in a world of "do it again".  In the old days, the instructions on the shampoo bottle were short and simple: "Lather, Rinse and repeat."  Apparently to get the most benefit of the shampoo, one has to do it twice.  (Or is this a carefully planned marketing strategy so I buy more shampoo?)

A newscaster this past expressed her dismay that so many children would boldly ask for seconds of her Halloween candy.  Our culture is built on if you like it, buy more; if it feels good, do it again; once is never enough. 

The culture instills a "never to be satisfied" appetite for repetition.  The culture of this world makes us think we can buy it; take it; earn it; or demand it.

Psalm 8 instills in me the secret to satisfaction with the added benefits of wonder, amazement, security and praise.  The secret I discovered in Psalm 8 is "You".  When I copied the Psalm in my journal, I capitalized You and Your when I thought the word referred to God.  All were capitalized.  I went back and circled them.  15 times "You" and "Your" were capitalized.  Zero times did those words refer to another. There is no "I" in Psalm 8.

So the extra measure of joy my heart yearns for, begins and ends with The You- God. Double Joy.  I want it.

Psalm 8 is just like my favorite candy bar, Almond Joy, which is really two bars in one package. Psalm 8 reminds me if I want a double portion of satisfaction, give The You, not I, the double portion of praise and amazement.  Joy and satisfaction begins and ends with "The You"!