Count The Stars
By Dennis Love
McDowell County
Listen to what the Bible says in Psalm 147:4-5. “He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! (New Living Translation) The King James reads this way; “He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite.” Both translations make it clear that God knows the number of the stars in the Heavens, and that He has even given them all a name. This is one reason our God is so great, powerful, and all-knowing.
Do you have any idea how many stars are sparkling away out there in space? The next time you are restless and can’t sleep, don’t waste your time counting sleep. Simply, get out of your bed, step out into your backyard, and start counting the stars. On a clear, dark, starry night, you can see and count about three thousand stars with the naked eye. However, this is just in your little backyard and neighborhood. Our solar system is in the Milky Way galaxy. Astronomers estimate that our galaxy contains more than four hundred billion stars. Those same astronomers speculate that there could be more than one hundred BILLION galaxies out there, and some of those galaxies could contain as many as a trillion stars!
Now folks, don’t even try to take your smartphone and calculate the number of stars in the Heavens. Your smartphone is not even that smart, and you might fry its brain trying. But the Bible tells us that there is One who doesn’t even need a smartphone to calculate the number of stars in the Heavens. Matter-of-fact, He doesn’t need to estimate or even speculate on the number of stars in the sky. Psalm 147:4 tells us that Almighty God knows the precise number of stars in the sky because He is One who placed them in the Heavens. In fact, the Bible says that God not only knows the number of all the stars in the sky, but He has also given each one of them an individual name. Is that awesome or what? That’s what you call great, powerful, absolute, and infinite. Praise the Lord! He is a mighty God!
Now if that doesn’t bless your socks off, this will. The very same God who knows the number of the stars in the sky, and the very same God who gave each one a name, and knows their names, KNOWS US BY NAME TOO!
So, take a few minutes on the next clear, dark, starry night, and take a sneak peek at just a very small number of the stars in the sky. Then, remember that God knows the number of them all and that He knows each one by name. Then, be strengthened and encouraged in your spirit knowing that He knows you too by name, that He has placed you on this earth at this particular time, and that your life is safe and secure in His hands. Now go back to bed and fall fast asleep!
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Dr. Dennis Love is the Associational Missions Strategist for the Blue Ridge Baptist Association in McDowell County. Dr. Love has been in full-time ministry work for 31 years. He and his wife Vicki have been married for almost 42 years, and they have lived in Marion for almost 8 years. They have two sons, four grandchildren and two step-grandchildren. He can be reached via email at: dlovebrba@yahoo.com
Read more of his articles here….
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