March 4, 2024
Melissa Valerio
“Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.” Isaiah 40:26 NLT
No one knows for sure, but there is estimated to be between 100 and 400 million stars in the Milky Way alone. And then there’s estimated to be between 100 and 200 billion galaxies in the universe. If each galaxy held only 100 million stars, we could agree there is an incomprehensible number of stars in the entire universe. Probably beyond a decillion. Yet the Bible tells us that God knows each one by name. So now let’s bring it down closer to Earth. Isaiah 40:26 tells us that God knows each star by name, but more personally to us, He knows each of us by name too. Isaiah 43:1 confirms this “But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, ‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.‘” (NLT)
With more than 8 million people on the Earth, He knows each one of us by name, too. How intimate and relational is our God! Yes, He knows the finite details of how we were made and how we function and how we think and how we feel. But deeper than that, He desires to be in intimate fellowship with us. An intimate relationship. So how do we foster this intimacy with the Creator of the universe? Just like we would with anyone else we fall in love with. Spend time with Him in His word, spend time with Him in prayer, spend time thinking of Him and thinking about how scripture intertwines with our lives. Being open and honest with Him by sharing our pain, sharing our hearts, sharing our desires. He loves to talk with us and loves to feel needed and wanted, just like we do. We’re not all that different from Him in many ways. We were made in His image, so the things we desire in a relationship mirrors His desire in a relationship. The beauty of a decillion stars is breathtaking, yes. But He cannot be loved by them. That privilege is ours.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Creator of the entire universe, Your love for us is personal and dear. With all the beauty in the Heavens and Earth, You still choose us to have intimate fellowship with. Help us build our trust in You; and deepen our faith in You. In Your Holy name, Amen.
Action: Talk about being stuck with the Lord forever, He’s engraved us on His palms! (Isaiah 49:16) Let’s do likewise by engraving Him in our hearts. Start by memorizing a new verse each week this month.