“He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”
Psalm 147:4 NIV
We serve an intentional God.
The Bible says that He determines the number of stars in the sky. I don’t know the last time you looked at the nighttime sky, but there are a LOT of stars – and that’s not even all of them! We only see a limited number of stars.
There’s no way to calculate the number of stars in the universe – it remains one of God’s beautiful mysteries. However, scientists guestimate there are approximately 200 billion trillion stars in the entire universe (Jackson).
Isn’t that insane?
When I was growing up, one of my favorite things to do on vacation in North Carolina was to lay down on the cabin patio and admire the beauty of the stars. I remember thinking how crazy it was that such tiny dots could light up the sky.
From our viewpoint, the stars seem endless, but God knows the exact number because He created them.
And not only did He set that exact number in place, but He knows EACH of them by name. Can you imagine having 200 billion trillion dogs and trying to remember each one by name?
We must realize that the same God that created the stars and knows them by name created us and knows us by name. But, more importantly, He created YOU and knows YOU by name.
Isaiah 43:1 says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
Isaiah was speaking to the Israelites, but the same is true for us today through the lens of Jesus.
John 10:3 says, “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
Think of your dog, cat, friend’s pet, etc. – each has a name. For example, my dog’s name is Augie and I use his name for multiple reasons: calling him inside, getting his attention, talking to him while I give him belly rubs – it’s pretty versatile.
He could be in a sea of dogs, but when he hears me call his name, he knows that his mom wants him. It’s a special bond we have.
The same is true with Jesus. He is our Shepherd, and we are His sheep. He knows us by name because He wants to create a special bond with us.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, we serve an intentional God. He’s so intentional that out of the billions of people He created on this Earth, He specifically knows you and me.
He knows our name.
He knows our hearts.
He knows our purpose.
Even down the exact number of hairs on our heads, He knows it (Luke 12:7).
As you go about your day, remember the God of the universe, who carefully crafted and named the stars and galaxies, also knows you by name.
Till next time friend,
Kaitlin
Reflection Questions
Feel free to write these down or just answer them out loud!
- Think about how many stars there are in the sky. How does it make you feel that the same God who created those stars and knows them by name also created you and knows you by name?
- Think back to a situation that made you feel small or insignificant. How did you respond?
- After reading this post, how will you respond to those kinds of situations in the future?
Prayer
God, Thank you for being such an intentional Creator. It’s crazy to think that You created all of the stars in the universe and know them by name, but it’s even crazier to think you created me and know me by name. If there’s ever a time I feel small or insignificant, please remind me of this amazing truth. Amen.
*If you want to read more about the statistics I mentioned earlier, check out the article below!
Jackson, Brian. “How Many Stars Are There In Space?” The Conversation, 20 Sept. 2021, https://theconversation.com/how-many-stars-are-there-in-space-165370#:~:text=There%20are%20approximately%20200%20billion%20trillion%20stars%20in%20the%20universe.
