Considering the Heavens
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him? - Psalm 8:3-4
For several years of my life, I lived in areas that had quite a bit of light pollution. While there, I always cherished the times where I would be at camp with students. It was then that I had the opportunity to spend five days where I had a much clearer view at the stars. Recently, while returning from a meeting in the Twin Cities area, I realized that there was not a cloud in the sky. With nothing to impede my view, I found a spot on the side of a rural road away from any town or farm lights. At the end of a busy day, I took five minutes to take in the glory of God's creation.
I may have earned an astronomy merit badge when I was in the Boy Scouts, but the knowledge has escaped me. Instead of trying to find specific constellations, I took in the vastness of creation. I returned to the driver's seat of my automobile and opened the sunroof. While driving down the road I would sneak a peek at the stars and the words of Psalm 8:3-4 echoed through my mind. Considering the stars and all the heavens, I couldn't help but wonder "What is man that God is mindful of him?"
As we look up at the starry night there are stars beyond the stars and even stars beyond that. In a universe so expansive, why in the world would the God who spoke it into being have any interest in me? Is it any wonder so many people see God as distant and detached? It should not surprise us that many people think that if God is out there, he really isn't all that concerned about us.
As we consider all of this, we have a sure and certain way that we know that God does, in fact, care for us. The second person of the Godhead took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ to redeem humanity from the curse. We can know that God is mindful of humanity because Jesus suffered and died for his people. We can also know that God cares for us because the Holy Spirit comes to us and through the proclamation of the Word, brings us to faith.
The size and scope of the universe can make us feel small and insignificant. For those of in Christ, it should do the exact opposite. We should be humbled that God thought so much of us that he brings all things together for our salvation. A God who is powerful and creates all things loves us so much that he came near to us to save us. With all that expansive space, God chose to come near to you and save you. When we consider the heavens we can be reminded of the grace and mercy of God shown to us in Christ and know that he is mindful of us.
