In the car this morning I heard a commercial I hadn’t since I was a kid. The Star Registry was advertising that you could “buy a star” for someone you loved. Apparently they send you a map of some type, you pick a yet “unnamed star” and for a small fee you get to name that star for someone special. That’s right, then from here to eternity that star “belongs” to them.
I remember as a child thinking how cool this sounded! I also remember as a teen thinking how goofy this sounded. Today I had a new thought: How arrogant this sounded! Who is man that we think we have the right to claim a star? Who are we to stake ownership in the infinite creation of God? How arrogant to think we can map the stars, yet alone name them.
Only God can make such a claim. Psalm 147:4 says “He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.” DO you know how big that is? In 1993 scientists said that there were 70 sextillion stars in the visible universe, or some 70 thousand million million million. That's a 7 followed by 22 zeros! And those are just the ones within range of our telescopes.
Can you grasp that? We serve a HUGE God. SO big in fact that he actually knows the number of stars and has each named! That puts everything in perspective for me. There are days when I feel so small. There are times I feel alone. There are times that we all feel helpless. But we should not! The God and creator of the stars also knows OUR name and stand behind us, holding us up and pressing us forward.
Next time you look into the heavens on a clear Oregon night. As you gaze upon the North Star, the Big Dipper or even Orion, remember who put them there. Remember who named them. Remember how big your God is. And then, remember that he is right there beside you, in your life, and in your heart.
Stars lookin at our planet watching entropy and pain
And maybe start to wonder how the chaos in our lives could pass as sane
I've been thinking bout the meaning of resistance, of a hope beyond my own
And suddenly the infinite and penitent begin to look like home
But when I look at the stars,
when I look at the stars,
when I look at the stars I see someone else
When I look at the stars,
the stars, I feel like myself- Switchfoot
2 comments:
Does it make you feel good inside that God knows the number of hairs on your head and the names of the stars? That sounds pretty arrogant if you ask me. To think that something created this for you? Self-centered and self -absorbed is what it is. I bet you believe that if you think some ideas in your head and keep believing them when you die that God will take you to heaven forever and ever. That he killed His Son for you. Wow. Talk about self-centered and arrogant. Whoever you are, you believe in fairy tales and made up stories. Get a clue you.
Actually it makes me feel very good that God knows me on such intimate details. I am not sure what at all sounds arrogant in my thoughts. I never once alluded to the fact God made these JUST FOR ME. He also made them for you and for everyone.
I do in fact look forward to Heaven and eternity. I do beleive that Jesus died...but for you also. There is nothing at all self centered, in fact my life is modeled by His example of selfless love.
Thanks for taking the time to read here. I will continue to beleive in my "fairy tales", and be content with the "clue" that I already have...also known as the truth.
I also pray for you and wish you well.
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