Across the expanse of time, people of every generation have stood in awe at the beauty and majesty of the heavens. Looking up into the night sky has inspired songwriters and poets in every age. When my son was at Yosemite National Park, he took photos of the sky on a clear night. I was amazed to see the innumerable stars that filled the sky from horizon to horizon. Because of the city lights where I live, many of these stars are hidden from my view. Can you imagine what it must have been like before there was electricity? While still a young shepherd, before he became king of Israel, David often spent evenings staring into the heavens. His thoughts have been written down and preserved in Psalm 8:3-4, “When I consider 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?”
Scientists estimate there are billions of these twinkling lights in our sky, and billions upon billions in our universe. God declared that the expanse of stars serves as a witness to His presence and greatness to every corner of our world. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4) It doesn’t matter what language a person speaks, the silent message of the stars is clear: God is wise, powerful, and He is to be worshiped.
God did not fling these stars into the night sky like a handful of dust we might throw into the air. No, He chose each one’s placement. What’s even more amazing is that God knows each of these stars by name (Psalm 147:4). Have you ever thought of that? How can God remember the names of all the stars? But God has no limits to His knowledge. He even knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:6-7), as well as every other detail of your life.
Like all good things, the devil twists them in his attempt to draw people away from God. “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.” (Romans 1:25) Regarding the heavens, the devil has convinced some people that the purpose of the stars is to guide their lives. They look for some “secret” hope and guidance from the movement of these inanimate objects. How foolish to think these mindless balls of fire know what’s best for a person. Throughout the Old Testament, God warns people to have nothing to do with astrology. Instead, He wants to be the One who leads each of our lives.
Sometimes, looking into the night sky makes a person feel so small and insignificant among the billions of stars and galaxies. Quite the opposite is true. David was overwhelmed with the truth that, even though God created the universe, He’s thinking about you and me. That’s what he meant when he asked, “What is man that You are mindful of him?” I hope this blog helps you to see that you are far from insignificant in God’s eyes. His love for you isn’t found studying the movements of the heavenly bodies. You will understand the extent of His love for you when you look at the cross of Jesus Christ and His empty tomb.
How does an old wooden cross, an instrument of death, reveal God’s love? It was on that cross that Jesus paid the ultimate penalty that our sins deserved. He died for our sins in order to bring us back to God. I hope next time you look at the twinkling stars, you will be reminded of how much God loves you.
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