For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. – Psalm 103: 14

Children today are so smart. It is as if they have been here before, born again and just picked up where they left off in the previous life. They comprehend concepts which we were never introduced to until college. The have an embarrassing expertise in technology which comes off as innate. They come up with sensible and wise comments that would impress Plato. However, every now and then, when, one of them does something foolish and childish, we get upset with him until we catch ourselves and remember that he is only four!

Perhaps, this is the way God looks at us. Humans are incredibly smart. They build contraptions that fly with several hundred people inside. The erect buildings which virtually touch the sky. They can remove a kidney from one person, put it in into another person and both people remain alive. They can design megaton ships which sail the oceans and don’t sink. They can communicate with each other face to face in real time though separated by thousands of miles. Yet, with all of these smarts and all of this know-how, every now and then, we do something foolish. We do something childish.

I hope that at such times, God remembers that we are dust. All of this brain power is contained in a bag of flesh. All of this brilliance is basically wrapped up in a bag of bones covered with thin skin. All of this wisdom gushes forth from a being which is 50%-65% water. Of course, God knows our frame because He created it. It is still refreshing and relieving to read that He remembers that we are dust.

Dust can be loving and loathsome. Dust can be compassionate and callous. Dust can be heavenly and hellish. Dust can be upright and down low. The real question is: “When we are prone to pride, filled with arrogance and full of ourselves, do we remember that we are dust?” Even when we don’t, thank the Lord that God does!