Praise Him, sun and moon! Praise Him, all you twinkling stars! Praise Him, skies above! Praise Him, vapors high above the clouds! Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for He issued His command, and they came into being. He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked, Psalm 148:3-6 (NLT).
There’s something heavenly about the song we’ve sung since we were toddlers! How amazing that God set the sun, moon, and twinkling stars in place forever and ever.
From the time God created our world, many things have shaken it. Wars, famine, pestilence, and disease have made it challenging and unpredictable. Colossians 3:2-3 (NLT) encourages us to think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth, for you died to this life, and your REAL life is hidden with Christ in God. The Lord knew that difficult times would come, and when the world’s darkness and trouble try to pull us into a place of discouragement and defeat, the splendor of His Word can lift our spirit to a place of hope, peace, and joy no matter what is going on around us.
Signs in the heavens have fascinated stargazers and wise men for centuries. They watch the sun, moon, and stars in an attempt to understand the signs and wonders God shows us in the lights He has created above. As the world's darkness grows thick, God's light is constant. Even at night, He shines in the darkness, and when the gross darkness of sin covers our world, His light is not snuffed out. In fact, it shines more brightly.
Isaiah 60:1-3 reminds us of this: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Philippians 4:8 (NLT) says, fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Today, April 8, 2024, many will watch the sky for a unique total eclipse of the sun. Although the solar eclipse is unusual and causes much speculation and wonder, the Lord has also placed other unique lights and signs in the heavens to behold. Let the Holy Spirit encourage and lift your heart with these verses about just one part of God’s spectacular creation—His twinkling stars, a constant reminder of His light in the darkest of nights:
Psalm 33:6 (NLT)--The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.
Psalm 147:4-5 (NLT)--He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!
Isaiah 40:26-28 (NLT)--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. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.
Isaiah 45:12 (NLT)--With My hands, I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command.
Isaiah 48:13 NLT--It was My hand that laid the foundations of the earth, My right hand that spread out the heavens above. When I call out the stars, they all appear in order.
Job 9:7-10 (NLT)--If He commands it, the sun won't rise, and the stars won't shine. He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea. He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky. He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.
1 Corinthians 15:40-41 (NLT)--There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.
The Star I love to think of most is the Bright and Morning Star, Jesus Christ. Revelation 22:16 (NKJV) records the words of Jesus: "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."
Satan, too, was referred to as a morning star in Isaiah 14:12; however, His light was extinguished forever. The light of Jesus was only extinguished for a brief moment, but it burns brightly for all eternity. He said, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46 ESV). He’s much more than a twinkle!
© 2024, Chris Custer Werre