Greetings Saints and Friends,
​”Hello, Marge. Come on in and sit awhile. What have you been up to today?” “O, Henrietta, I finally found a special gift for my granddaughter this year.” “What is it?” “I heard a radio commercial from a company that will name a star after my granddaughter and send her a certificate of authenticity.” “And tell me, Marge, how much does this company charge for this service?” “The first star named after a loved-one is ninety-nine dollars. But each one after that is only ninety-eight dollars.” “I see. Well, Marge, I hope to save you some money by what I am about to say. That company is a little late in naming any star after anyone.” “Why is that, Henrietta?” “Because the Bible says of God, ‘He counts the number of the stars and He calls them all by name.'” Psalm 147:4 “You’re so right, Henrietta! I forgot all about God creating all the stars on the fourth day of creation. Genesis 1:16 While God allowed Adam to name his wife, and all the animals, too, only God could have possibly named all the stars He created. I wonder how many stars there actually are, Henrietta.” “I don’t know for sure. But not long ago, my grandson completed a school assignment which led him to contact NASA. One of the questions he had for the person he spoke with was, ‘How many stars are there in the universe?’ The person he spoke with replied that astronomers estimate that our universe could contain up to one septillion stars – that’s a one followed by 24 zeros! My grandson, who never misses an opportunity to share his faith, included in his report that God has a name for each one of those stars.” “Henrietta, when one thinks of all the stars, planets, galaxies, and all that space holds, it’s quite spectacular. Then to think that little ole’ planet earth is just a tiny part of it all. Yet, God knows every star by name, every feather on every bird that nests with its young, and Jesus said, ‘every hair on our head are all numbered.’ Matthew 10:30 The intimacy that God has with His creation, especially humans, is incredible.” “Yes, it certainly is, Marge. One of my favorite Psalms in the Bible is Psalm 139. David writes of how God is lovingly involved in creating each person – ‘You covered me in my mother’s womb.'” Psalm139:13
“I agree, Henrietta. And the way David proclaims, ‘I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!’ Psalm 139:14 is a statement of fact that doctors and scientists have marveled over for centuries. Though David did not have all the technological advantages we have today to understand how marvelously designed our bodies actually are, he knew enough to praise God. David continued to worship God as not only the Creator of each individual, but also the Sustainer of our lives. He said, ‘In Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.’ Psalm 139:16
We should never live carelessly, Henrietta, but before God creates each person, He has already determined how many days we would be here, how many times our hearts would beat, until we enter eternity.” “Marge, the other day I received a card from a friend that simply said, ‘Thinking of you today.’ It made me feel good. It also reminded me that I have always enjoyed the way David reminds us of the affectionate closeness of God to each of us. And how we are always on His mind. That’s why David could say, ‘How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.’ Psalm 139:17-18
To know that God is always thinking of each person in the whole world at the same time, as if He is only thinking of one person, is another demonstration of His great love for each of us. His thoughts are tender, precious, and loving. Jesus spoke of that when He said, ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16 When I think of how God has already made eternal preparations like a forever home in heaven, a forever body, and an eternal close relationship with each person who trusts in Jesus, I stand in awe like David did.” “Yes, Henrietta. And to know it is all just a prayer away for anyone who will sincerely tell Jesus, ‘Thank You, Jesus, for paying for my sins when You died for them and rose again. Today, and forever, I want to know Your love and closeness, Amen.'”