Wonder in the Stars

On warm summer nights, and even on cold winter nights, one of my favorite things to do is to stare at the stars. I find them fascinating. They fill me with a sense of wonder. I like to watch the sky as the day fades into darkness and, one by one, tiny lights appear. I like to look for patterns, trace out designs, and let the beauty and immensity of the night sky remind me of God’s grace. It fills me with peace.

Stars remind me that God is the Creator and is in control. Throughout the Bible, stars are often used as a reminder of God's awesome power shown through his beautiful and awe-inspiring creation, as in Psalm 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Stars are more than just pretty. Along with the moon, stars give the comfort of light in the darkness, and they change position with the seasons, marking the days just as God created them to do in Genesis 1:14. Stars also help us to navigate, or find our way.

The North Star has always been very important for helping people find their way, especially before compasses, GPS, and smartphones. Scientists think the stars even help migrating birds find their way! Just as the North Star helps us to find our way here on earth, we can use the stars to point us back to God and remind us of God’s power, faithfulness, and grace.

Dive Deeper

Romans 1:20 reminds us that God reveals himself to us through creation. In Psalm 19, David sings about how the skies show him the glory of God. Psalms 8, 33, and 136, and Isaiah 40, all praise the wonder of the night sky. How has creation inspired you today?

Try This

Constellations are groups of stars that together form a picture. The constellations we are most familiar with come from Greek and Roman stories. (The Bible mentions the constellations of Orion, Pleiades, and the bears in Job 9:9). But other people around the globe named their own constellations. The Indigenous people of Canada formed constellations by making pictures in the stars of things they knew, such as moose, fishers, mountain lions, and loons. Take a moment to look at the stars and create your very own constellations, making sure to remember God the Creator, who made them for all people to enjoy (Deut. 4:19).