“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” –Psalm 8:3-4
This is currently my favorite scripture. David, a man after God’s own heart, wondered out loud — as he stared up at the night sky in it’s abundance, amazed by it’s astounding beauty — how God created all of that, yet still took the time to create him. His words hit at the heart, so raw are they. I, too, have wondered this before. God created the moon, the Sun, the stars we can see, and the awe-striking nebulas afar. But still, He took the time to create us in such a way — like a craftsman who is passionate about each project he works on — to know the numbers of hairs upon our heads and to breathe into us life when everything else was spoken into existence.
“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.” –Luke 12:7
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” –Genesis 2:7
Going all the way back to the week of Creation explained in Genesis 1, we are told when God created the sky above us:
“And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights — the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning — the fourth day.” –Genesis 1:14-19
God created the Sun, the moon, and the stars on the fourth day, but He did so from a particular point of view:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” –Genesis 1:1-2
God hovered above the waters on earth to determine what we would need when He created us. He didn’t have to do it this way, nor does an artist in an art class need a living nude figure in front of them in order to draw the human figure. Going back to the passionate craftsman, though, He wanted to be involved in the details. Thus, hovering above the waters He created what we would need. The Sun has been used to help us keep track of time; sunrise and sunset let us know a day has passed. The moon and it’s phases helped establish months and eventually years. Ancient civilizations set up the building blocks to our current calendar. They got it wrong a couple of times, granted, but we are still imperfect.
The stars, too, have been of use. They are used in navigation, more so in the past than today. Even the placing of the constellations can tell us what season we’re in. Plus, of course, they inspire our curiosity and encourage us to grow that we might better understand. Because of this inspiration and encouragement we now have GPSs, telescopes, and some of the methods we use today in trigonometry.
What is even more amazing is what can be found in the to-do list of the week of Creation. On the first day, God separated light from the darkness. The second, He created the sky. The third, land and vegetation. The fourth, of course, was for the Sun, the moon, and the stars. The fifth, the sea creatures and the birds. On the sixth day, God created the living creatures of the land and, finally, mankind, leaving the seventh for rest (Genesis 1). God created everything before creating mankind, providing what we would need for the future He knew we would live. It reminds me of a promise made by our Savior:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” –John 14:1-4
Just like God prepared a place for us on earth in the beginning, so Christ is preparing a place for us in Heaven. The Sun, the moon, and the stars are a reminder of all God has done and what He will do. May we always remember this when we look up into the night sky, being inspired as David was to see such beauty and being humbled that such a Creator, such an Artist and Craftsman loves us enough to take the time to create us, save us through sacrifice, and spend time with us.
As Christ said, “You know the way to the place where I am going” (John 14:4).
“Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” –John 14:5-9a
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” –Romans 10:9-10
If you know Christ in your heart, take comfort in this: He has already gone before you and is preparing a place for you. Not because He has to, but because He wants to. He loves us more than the sparrows He feeds and the stars He has created. When we have been adopted into His family, nothing will separate us from Him.
If you don’t know Christ and would like to, simply pray to God asking for forgiveness, declaring Jesus is your Lord, and believe with your whole heart. Jesus is right there, waiting beside you, ready to adopt you with arms wide open. May the stars forever inspire you to draw ever nearer to the Lord Almighty, our Father in Heaven.
Not the Norm 