The King's Northwest Kansas Stars

Tonight was a clear, crisp autumn night in Northwest Kansas. No clouds. The moon was hiding its face. Nothing in the sky but an abundance of glorious stars. I really can’t even begin to adequately describe the wonder. Try to imagine the blackest of skies. When you first look up, you see millions of bright stars. As your gaze spans across the entire sky, the bright stars seem to be inlayed in a bed of a billion more stars just a couple more light years away. An additional sweep adds another trillion behind those. The stars appear to be increasing before your eyes. It’s as if God sprinkled the sky first with diamond dust…then added fine glitter…then sprinkled slightly coarser glitter...then added some small specks of diamonds…then threw on some ½-carat pieces…and finished with a few well-placed stones. The result is stunning. I could have stood outside all night long and not gotten enough of their splendor. But that’s just it –it isn’t THEIR splendor…it’s the Lord’s.



And as I stood there in the cold, David’s words in Psalm 8 resonated in my heart:"When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him,and the son of man that You care for him?"

It never ceases to amaze me that the One who flung those breathtaking stars into being is interested in the smallest details of my life. That Yahweh, who “determines the number of the stars” and “gives to all of them their names”, delights in me…desires my beauty.

Imagine what you would feel if the Queen of England flew you to London for tea…then multiply it by a million. That should be a fraction of the awe we experience when we consider the Lord’s greatness and intimacy. But I must confess I take it for granted far too often. And I have no excuse. When I witness the magnificence of a starry night in Northwest Kansas, or stand at the foot of the majestic Colorado Rockies, I see my King’s glory. I see HIM.

The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech,and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words,whose voice is not heard.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

My Lord shows me His greatness in what He has created. I have no excuse not to see it. There is no way I can deny He exists. Every day bears His faithfulness to and love for me. I have no doubts that I am my Beloved’s, and He is mine.

Go! Look for the Creator in His created. Don’t just star-gaze, glory-gaze. And in the ‘stuff’ of your ever-day life, “stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.” You will find unfailing faithfulness and captivating love.

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Job 37:14
Psalm 8:3-4, 19, 45:11, 147:3-5
Song of Solomon 6:2
Isaiah 62:4
Romans 1:20


WRITTEN: November 23, 2006