Day 3 — Bigger Than the Stars

“Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”

— Isaiah 40:26 (BSB)

On a clear night, far away from city lights, you can look up and see thousands of stars. But that’s only a tiny sliver of them. Scientists think there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on every beach on earth. That’s a number so big we can’t even imagine it.

Now read Isaiah 40:26 again. God doesn’t just know how many stars there are. He “calls each one by name.” Every single one! God has never forgotten a star, never lost one and never mixed one up with another. “Not one of them is missing.”

That tells us something about how big God is. He’s bigger than the sky, stronger than the sun and wiser than every scientist who ever lived.

But here’s something surprising. Isaiah didn’t write these words just to impress people. He wrote them to people who felt forgotten. God’s people were going through a hard time, and they were saying, “God doesn’t see us. He doesn’t care what happens to us.” (You can read that in the very next verse, Isaiah 40:27.)

So God said, in effect: Look up. See all those stars? I know every one of them by name. Do you really think I could forget you?

Sometimes we think God is too big to notice us. With billions of people and a whole universe to run, why would He care about my test tomorrow or my friend who’s being mean? But God’s greatness isn’t a reason He can’t care about you. It’s the reason He can. A God who can keep track of every star has no trouble keeping track of you.

You are not lost in the crowd. God knows your name.

Think about it: Have you ever felt like God was too busy to notice you? How does Isaiah 40:26 help with that feeling?

Try this: Tonight, go outside and look up at the stars (or find a picture of the night sky). Remember that the God who named every one of them knows your name too.

Dear God, You are so great! You made every star and You call each one by name. Thank You that You are never too big or too busy to care about me. When I feel forgotten, help me remember that You know my name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.