Look to the Heavens

“Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?  He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.  Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.  Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God?'”  Isaiah 40:26-27

When New Testament Christians read this verse on an Old Testament parchment, or even when the early Church fathers, such as Wycliffe, read it from the newly compiled Bible, what did they think when they lifted their eyes and looked to the heavens?  Surely they were overwhelmed to see the autumn constellations.  As today’s verse advises, they no doubt bit their tongues from complaining when they considered how God named all the stars within their sight.  Surely, they were awestruck at the number of stars — and the telescope was many years from being invented!

But today we have many more reasons to be overwhelmed and awestruck.  Galileo’s telescope has given way to powerful, computer-enhanced telescopic images of many more billions of galaxies than he ever dreamed, than Wycliffe could ever imagine.  So many, that they are far beyond counting.  Yet God has looked at each one, rubbed His chin, so to speak, examined the distinctiveness of each star, and has given it a name that fits.  Trillions upon trillions of stars, each with a special name.

If God cares about the names of each star, why should we complain, thinking that our problems are hidden from Him, or that He has no regard for our situation?  You are far more precious to Him than a nova, or even a super-nova.  He has made you co-heir with the Creator and Name-Giver of the stars.

The lightning and thunder

They go and they come;

But the stars and the stillness

Are always at home.

— George MacDonald

Blessings,