Reflecting after preparing for Psalm 8

Welcome Scripture Memory Friends!!

​I hope you’ve had a chance to sit down and read  Psalm 8 each day and dig a little deeper as you read.

Let’s go ahead and take a quick moment to recap what we covered in the last podcast. Last time we were together we learned that David wrote this song and gave it to the choir master of the temple to be sung for public worship.  I hope you were able to identify the main characters—the Lord and the son of Man.   

As you continue reflecting on the Psalm this week, I want to share something that struck me personally.

I'm going to share with you just a few things that stuck out to me. However, as we continue to memorize I will be sharing with you more nuggets as we progress through this Psalm.   When I read this Psalm I was and continue to be filled with wonder and awe Lord Our Lord, How Majestic is Your Name in ALL the Earth!  You have set your glory above the heavens. This opening statement sets the tone for the entire Psalm, giving us the proper perspective of who God is and how we relate to Him. Remarkably, the Psalm closes with the very same declaration—like a beautifully crafted book with a perfect beginning and end.  What a powerful statement of praise,  that is glorious in its splendor and majesty, praising the one true God, the Lord of all—who is over all, through all, and in all.  As I sat with that opening and closing declaration, something in the first verse caught my attention.In the first verse the word Lord is used 2 times. I was intrigued by this and I decided to look this up on the blue letter bible site and I found:

LORD Strong's H3068 and the Strong's definition :the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.

Lord - Strong's H113  from an unused root (meaning to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine):—lord, master, owner.

I also used another great resource called the Bible Hub and looked at multiple commentaries.  The Barnes notes on the Bible says that the “ first use of the Lord  is the Hebrew word  Yahweh. It is an address to God by his chosen and special titleThe second usage is “The word used here - אדני 'âdônay - means properly master, lord, ruler, owner, and is such a title as is given to an owner of land or of slaves, to kings, or to rulers, and is applied to God as being the ruler or governor of the universe. The meaning here is, that the psalmist acknowledged Yahweh to be the rightful ruler, king, or master of himself and of all others. He comes before him with the feeling that Yahweh is the universal ruler - the king and proprietor of all things.”The magnificence of the  Lord’s name and that he is LORD of ALL. That means he is the only God, the true God and he is my Lord, master and ruler over my life.  That is a huge thing to grasp. 

Think about how the psalmist praises the Lord in this Psalm.  Do you get a sense of need to do the same when you read this?  I do, I want to lift up my hands and look upwards and declare O LORD My Lord How majestic is your name in all the earth.  

To be honest though, I'm not quick to do this. I confess I don’t feel like I praise the Lord enough. There are many times that I feel uncomfortable or maybe awkward is a better word because of the fear of man.  However, He does deserve our praise and in light of all that is happening around us we need to be courageous and have the confidence to declare that Yes, Our Lord is God and Reigns over all.  

How will you respond to God in worship in light of what you have learned as you prepared to memorize Psalm 8 this week?? 

Preparing before memorizing Psalm 8

We are now starting to dive into Psalm 8 and with that in mind please use this information below as a guide as you work through it.  Maybe get out your journal and make some notes as you read.  Either way, I hope this will help you. 

Prepare Before Memorizing and Digging Deeper 

• Read through Psalm 8 every day for one week.
• Gather background information:
• Who wrote the psalm?
• To whom was it written?
• What is the main subject or setting?
• Are there repeated phrases or patterns?

If you want to see how this connects to the larger context of the book of Psalms, check out the overview of the book of Psalms in this podcast 👉🏻(link here).

• Ask the 5 W’s and H:
• Who is speaking?
• Who is being addressed?
• What is the main message?
• Where is this taking place?
• Why was it written?
• How does it reveal God’s character?

Look for:

• Parallelism – repeated structure or rhythm (e.g., Psalm 23: “He makes me… He leads me… He restores…”)
• Similes – comparisons using like or as.
• Metaphors – direct comparisons without like or as.
• Personification – giving human qualities to non-human things.
• Hyperbole – intentional exaggeration for emphasis (e.g., “My tears have been my food day and night,” Psalm 42:3).

Study Keywords

• Identify keywords:  check these out for help with marking keywords
• Key Word Symbols Guide
• Psalms Keywords 1–50 (Printable Sheet)
• Look up the keyword in a dictionary and in their original Hebrew using the Blue Letter Bible Lexicon.

Here is an example of how this could be done. I identified that this Psalm uses Lord 2 times.  One with all capitals and the other just with the capital L.  Why?  Well I went to the Blue Letter Bible site and this is what I learned. 

• LORD Strong's H3068 and the Strongs definition :the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.
• Lord - Strong's H113  from an unused root (meaning to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine):—lord, master, owner.

Doing this can help deepen your understanding of the text. 

Verse Mapping

• Choose one verse from Psalm 8 and:
• Look it up in multiple translations (KJV, NIV, NASB, AMP, Legacy, etc.).
• Write down what stands out to you. Did the versions use different words?
• Look up a keyword or a word that you do not understand
• Meditate on the verse and reflect on what it reveals about God and about humanity.

Psalm 8 Memorization Plan 

Week One Memorize Psalm 8:1-2

Monday: Learn verse 1

Tuesday:  Review verse 1 

Wednesday:Review verse 1

Thursday: Review verse 1

Friday: Add New Verse 8:2 then Review 1-2

Saturday: Review verse 2 then Review All verses together 1-2

Sunday:  Review Verse 2 then Review All verses together 1-2

Week Two :Memorize Psalm 8:3-4

Monday:  Review Verse 1-2 then add New Verse 8:3  Review 1-3

Tuesday:  Review verse 3 then review all verses together 1-3

Wednesday: Pray verses 1-4 then review all verses together 1-3 (listen to podcast) 

Thursday:Review verse 3 Review all verses together 1-3

Friday:  Review verse 3, Add New Verse 8:4  Review All verses together 1-4

Saturday:Move and Memorize Review verses 1-4(listen to podcast) 

Sunday:  Review All verses together 1-4

Week Three - Memorize Psalm 8:5-6

Monday: Review verses 1-4, Add New Verse 8:5

Tuesday:  Review verse 5, review all verses together

Wednesday:Review verse 5, review all verses

Thursday: Review verse 5, review all verses

Friday: Add New Verse 8:6  then Review 1-6

Saturday: Review verse 6 then Review All verses together 1-6

Sunday:  Review Verse 6 then Review All verses together 1-6

Week Four - Memorize Psalm 8:7-8

Monday:  Review Verse 1-6 then add New Verse 8:7

Tuesday:  Review verse 7 then review ALL verses together 1-7

Wednesday: Pray verses 1-8 then review all verses together 1-7(listen to podcast) 

Thursday:Review verse 3 Review all verses together 1-7

Friday:  Review verse 3, Add New Verse 8:8   Review All verses together 1-8

Saturday:Move and Memorize (listen to podcast) Review verses 1-8

Sunday:  Review All verses together 1-8

Week Five - Memorize Psalm 8:9

Monday: Review verses 1-8, Add New Verse 8:9

Tuesday:  Review verse 9 , review all verses together

Wednesday:Review verse 9, review all verses

Thursday: review all verses

Friday: Review all verses

Saturday: Review All verses together

Sunday:  Review All verses together 

​

Preparing for Psalm 8

 

“I have never met a mature, fruitful Christian who does not meditate on the Word of God. Memorizing Scripture is the pathway of that meditation.” -- John Piper  (From “When I Don’t Desire God”)

​Psalm 8

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David. 

1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens. 

2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes,

to still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 

4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.

 6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;

you have put all things under his feet, 

7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,

 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 

9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Welcome back, friends! I’m so glad you’re here.

If you’ve been memorizing Scripture with me this past year, you may be feeling a bit weary or unsure about continuing. If that’s the case, I want to gently remind you: it’s okay to pause. Take a little break, and when you’re ready, come on back.

It’s really important to check in—not just on how many verses you’ve memorized or which chapters you’ve completed—but on your heart. Where is your heart in this discipline of Scripture memory?

Let’s walk through that question together.

For me, I like to pause and ponder my “why.” So let me ask you to do the same: Why are you memorizing? If you’ve been on this journey, how has Scripture memory impacted your life?

Scripture affects each of us differently, because it’s the work of the Holy Spirit that brings transformation. These answers are personal and unique to each of us.

Can you point to a season in your life when Scripture reminded you of Truth—of who God is and of His sovereign care?

Let me encourage you to regroup and remember why you started memorizing Scripture in the first place. I do this often—at different points in my journey. Sometimes I refocus when I’m starting something new. Other times, I pause when I feel the pressure to reach a goal or when memorizing starts to feel like just another item on a checklist.

I love checking off a box—but I’ve also had to learn to be okay with not sitting down every single day to go through my verses. One rhythm I’ve tried to keep consistent is reviewing Scripture as I get ready for the day. It’s simple, plus its something that I can choose to do daily!.

So let me encourage you again: refocus on your “why.”

With that said, let’s begin our dive into Psalm 8.

Today, we’re starting with preparation—before we begin memorizing. If you’re new here, you’ll soon learn that I like to read through the passage first to get a general layout of what I’ll be memorizing. Think of it as laying the foundation before building something beautiful.

I’ve updated the plan on my blog for you to check out, and it’s also linked in the show notes. I want this to be a space where you feel supported and equipped as you take this step in memorizing Scripture.

My goal is to give you practical ways to memorize, study, meditate on, and pray through the Word.

Background of Psalm 8

Welcome back, friends! I’m so glad you’re here.

If you’ve been memorizing Scripture with me this past year, you may be feeling a bit weary or unsure about continuing. If that’s the case, I want to gently remind you: it’s okay to pause. Take a little break, and when you’re ready, come on back.

It’s really important to check in—not just on how many verses you’ve memorized or which chapters you’ve completed—but on your heart. Where is your heart in this discipline of Scripture memory?

Let’s walk through that question together.

For me, I like to pause and ponder my “why.” So let me ask you to do the same: Why are you memorizing? If you’ve been on this journey, how has Scripture memory impacted your life?

Scripture affects each of us differently, because it’s the work of the Holy Spirit that brings transformation. These answers are personal and unique to each of us.

Can you point to a season in your life when Scripture reminded you of Truth—of who God is and of His sovereign care?

Let me encourage you to regroup and remember why you started memorizing Scripture in the first place. I do this often—at different points in my journey. Sometimes I refocus when I’m starting something new. Other times, I pause when I feel the pressure to reach a goal or when memorizing starts to feel like just another item on a checklist.

I love checking off a box—but I’ve also had to learn to be okay with not sitting down every single day to go through my verses. One rhythm I’ve tried to keep consistent is reviewing Scripture as I get ready for the day. It’s simple, plus its something that I can choose to do daily!.

So let me encourage you again: refocus on your “why.”

With that said, let’s begin our dive into Psalm 8.

Today, we’re starting with preparation—before we begin memorizing. If you’re new here, you’ll soon learn that I like to read through the passage first to get a general layout of what I’ll be memorizing. Think of it as laying the foundation before building something beautiful.

I’ve updated the plan on my blog for you to check out, and it’s also linked in the show notes. I want this to be a space where you feel supported and equipped as you take this step in memorizing Scripture.

My goal is to give you practical ways to memorize, study, meditate on, and pray through the Word.

Identifying Main Characters

Identify the Main CharactersNow that we know who wrote this psalm and who it was written for, let’s dig in together.

Grab your Bible (or a printed copy of Psalm 8) and something to write with. If you have colored pens or a journal, even better!

Step 1: Read the Psalm Aloud Twice

First Reading: Mark every mention of Lord and Man (see the example below).

Be sure to include the pronouns that refer to each one.

If you’re not using colors, that’s totally fine—just underline or circle them. The key is to use different markings so you can tell them apart easily.

Second Reading: As you read, note the locations and if you want you can mark them as such For instance, you would double underline in green this phrase “above the heavens.” As a side note: You may or may not find locations in your reading.

This process is called observation — it’s about reading with intention.

We’re not interpreting yet; we’re simply gathering clues from the text.

Alright, open your Bible to Psalm 8 and start observing!

I love this You Tube channel.  The creator "This Little Light " is very creative in how she intertwines the visual aspect to help aid in scripture memory!