This video is from The American Museum of Natural History, The Digital Atlas of the Universe.
The God Who Calls Each Star by Name
He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
- Psalm 147:4
As adults most of us are too busy or to tired go out at night and look at the stars. Most of us also have too much light pollution in our areas to see much of the night sky. There are places in the world where you can see a wide panorama of the sky, of the stars with no external light interference. These have been designated as Dark Sky Parks or Reserves.
There are (most recent count) 37 Dark Sky Parks in the United States, 53 in the world. I live near Cherry Springs State Park, a Dark Sky Park.
Chile’s Atacama Desert provides one of the best if not the best place for stargazing in the world. This video is from TimeStorm Films.
Science has estimated that the radius of the observable universe is therefore estimated to be about 46.5 billion light-years and its diameter about 28.5 gigaparsecs (93 billion light-years, 8.8×1023 kilometers or 5.5×1023 miles). But this is a best guess.
The temporality of our life and our location on the Earth does not allow for our exploration of the universe. Our technological efforts though remarkable are feeble at best.
The Holy Word speaks to God’s providential knowledge and understanding of his creation. Here are a few Bible verses that describe that.
Luke 21:18 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. Matthew 10:30 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Luke 12:7 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Acts 27:34 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head."
God knows the number of hairs on our head, how many sparrows there are, when we will die and the number and names of all the stars.
I find it more than intriguing that when we die and slip the surly bonds of earth, we will traverse that unknowable distance in the blink of an eye.
The time we have right now, our being in this life is extremely limited and brief. Our journey is over before we know it.
Just this morning my two grandsons, one 14 years old, the other 8 years old related to me their perceptions of how fast or how slow time seemed to progress. “When will we be there?’ Prompted that discussion.
So, stop and slow down, consider the stars and your creator. Humble yourself before his mighty hand.
God the Father is watching over us all through the night while we sleep. He is concerned about us and loves us all dearly. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5