Stargazer Shoes

"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name." (Psalm 147: 4)

Have you taken the time to look at a star filled sky lately? During our recent camping trip, I made time to be still and observe the beauty of the night sky. Late into the night I walked to the lake near our site and gazed at the declaration of God's glory. The view was absolutely breathtaking. There were no commercial or residential lights to wash away the brilliance on display. Stars upon stars filled the sky. The Milky Way stretched across the expanse, reflecting its beauty on the lake. As I stood there with my oldest son and his wife, a shooting star blazed across the sky, trailed by a stream of red and yellow light. The three of us stood still, amazed at the wonder of God's creation.

A few days later I read the above passage in the Book of Psalms. That night I went to the lake again. I reviewed the words in my mind over and over, trying to grasp the fact that God had named each of the stars that I could see as well as the millions I could not see. He knows their number, because He determined it! An overwhelming sense of the Majesty of the Lord filled my soul. The Providence of God  was on display and it brought encouragement. How can I be anxious when the God who made the stars has called me his child? Why should I worry when the One who filled the sky with beauty knows my name? I asked for the Lord of the Universe to forgive me for forgetting Who He is.

Are you struggling to make sense of where things are in your life right now? Put on some Stargazing Shoes and find a place that is removed from the lights of civilization. Take the time to listen to the declaration of the heavens: "God is glorious!"

"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)