What is man, that you are mindful of him? And the son of man, that you visit him?
— Psalm 8:4 (BBE)
Psalm 8 is often read as a hymn of praise to the greatness of God and the smallness of man—but Neville Goddard saw it quite differently. To Neville, man is not small at all. In fact, man is the means through which God expresses Himself. The psalm, when read symbolically, reveals a powerful truth: your imagination is divine, and you are not separate from God—you are His embodiment in form.
"O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth!"
In Neville's teachings, the "name" of God is not a label—it is consciousness itself. God’s name is “I AM.” Wherever someone declares, “I am,” God is there, speaking through that individual awareness.
So when the psalm says “How excellent is your name”, it is really saying:
How magnificent is this power of I AM—this awareness of being—in every part of life.
"Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings..."
Neville would suggest that this line speaks to the creative purity of the imagination. Babes and sucklings haven’t yet learned to doubt. They accept what they imagine without question. It is from this state of childlike faith—a pure, undivided assumption—that real power flows.
“Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom.”
— Neville frequently quoted this to highlight the necessity of childlike faith.
What Does "Childlike" Faith Really Mean?
The idea of being “childlike” is central to Neville Goddard’s teachings, and it’s not about naivety or immaturity. Instead, it speaks to a mental state of purity, trust, and unquestioning belief. Neville often explained that children are unencumbered by doubt, meaning that they don’t filter their desires through the lens of what’s possible or logical.
To approach life with childlike faith means:
-
Complete Trust in Your Imagination
Just as a child imagines and believes in the possibility of anything—whether it’s a fairy tale, a superhero, or a dream world—you must learn to trust the power of your imagination without hesitation or fear. You are not wondering how it will happen; you simply know it will, because you’ve assumed it as true. -
Absence of Doubt
Children believe in things without asking “How?” or “When?” When they dream of something, they do not doubt its possibility. They accept their assumptions as reality, and this undivided faith in their imagination is why they can create worlds of wonder. Similarly, you must learn to doubt your doubts and assume that what you desire already is. -
Purity of Assumption
Children are not bogged down by past experiences or preconceived limitations. They hold their assumptions freely and purely, unclouded by the external world. In this way, childlike faith is a reminder to return to that pure, undiluted assumption that whatever you desire is already yours.
The Cherubim: Symbolising Childlike Faith
In Neville Goddard’s interpretation, the cherubim serve as a powerful representation of childlike faith. These angelic beings, often depicted as pure, innocent, and untainted by doubt, are perfect symbols of the kind of imagination and trust Neville spoke about. The cherubim represent the unwavering, unquestioning trust in divine imagination, which is key to manifesting our desires.
-
Guardians of the Creative Power
The cherubim often guard sacred spaces—for example, the entrance to the Garden of Eden or the Ark of the Covenant. This imagery aligns with the need to guard your imagination with purity. Just as the cherubim stand watch over the divine, your mind must be protected from doubt and external negativity in order to use your imagination as a powerful creative tool. -
Divine Alignment and Trust
The cherubim are often depicted as being in close proximity to God, signifying their alignment with divine consciousness. Neville taught that your imagination is your connection to the divine, and the cherubim remind you that this connection is pure, innocent, and trusting. When you embrace a childlike faith, you align yourself with the higher creative power within you. -
The Protection of Innocence
Just as the cherubim protect sacred spaces, they can be seen as protecting the innocence of your imagination, which must remain free from external influences, conditioning, and doubt. The more you adopt a childlike attitude—one that trusts in the power of your assumptions—the more you will manifest from this pure, untainted creative source.
"What is man, that you are mindful of him?"
This isn’t a lament—it’s a revelation. Man is the means of God’s self-expression. You, the individual, are not a passive observer in the cosmos. You are the vessel through which the infinite imagines, feels, and creates.
Neville would say: God became man so that man might awaken as God.
This verse becomes a profound recognition:
You are not an afterthought—you are the thought of God itself, wrapped in form.
"You have made him a little lower than the angels..."
In Hebrew, this actually reads *“You have made him a little lower than Elohim”—*a word often translated as “God” or “the gods.” In Neville’s view, man is not subordinate to angels but made just below the fullness of God, clothed in limitation temporarily—yet still divine.
“Man is God dreaming he is man.”
— Neville Goddard
"You have crowned him with glory and honour."
This is not future tense. It’s a statement of fact.
You have been crowned already—with the power of imagination, the gift of assumption, and the creative nature of I AM.
The question is not whether you possess divine power, but whether you will recognise it—and use it consciously.
"You made him to have dominion..."
Neville taught that dominion is not over other people or animals, but over your inner world.
You are the operant power. What you accept as true becomes your reality. You are the ruler of your mental kingdom.
Conclusion: The Majesty of the Human Imagination
Psalm 8 is not about how small you are beneath a mighty God. It is a song of awe—not at your weakness, but at your creative capacity.
It says, in effect:
How wonderful is man—that God would clothe Himself in him. That I AM could become you, and feel through you, and create through you.
Neville would say: Praise is not flattery. It is recognition of truth. And the truth is:
You are the vessel of God’s own imagining. You are crowned. You are capable. You are divine.
By embodying childlike faith, symbolised by the cherubim, you return to the core of your creative power—undistracted by doubt, unwavering in your assumptions, and full of trust that what you imagine is already real. This is the essence of manifestation: the complete acceptance of your own divinity, and the recognition that, through imagination, you can shape your world.
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment! Comments are reviewed before publishing.