Psalm 147:4 - Naming Stars

"He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them."

(Psalm 147:4, New American Standard Bible)

Spiral Galaxy M74  NASA - SPD-HUBBLE-STScI-2007-41a

When I was at Berea College, Kentucky, I took that verse to heart and took a course in astronomy. I figured if God named all the stars, I should learn a few of them. Many of our popular names for the more brilliant stars and constellations come from ancient, western civilization. But if you go to the NASA website, you'll find that there are so many stars, they've given up naming them. They assign them numbers--like "Spiral Galaxy M74," above. So we're back to numbers instead of actual names. Whether Greek heroes or NASA numbers, they aren't the names that God gave the stars.

What's amazing is that this same God who (1) created all the stars and (2) named all the stars
... this God of splendor and majesty, still thinks enough of us to share His own glory with us. 

Psalm 8:1-5
1 O LORD, our Lord,
            How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
            Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength
            Because of Your adversaries,
            To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
            The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
4 What is man that You take thought of him,
            And the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
            And You crown him with glory and majesty!

Lord, for this we praise and thank you. Amen