Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.” (Genesis 15:5)

That’s what God said to Abraham to assure him that his descendants would be many, a promise always linked to the promise of the Messiah from Abraham’s descendants.

The stars have a message for us too. The following words of Abraham Lincoln may be seen on an inscription in Springfield, Illinois: “I cannot conceive how a man could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.” Lincoln, a Bible reader, undoubtedly thought of the psalm; “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1).

Stargazing has long been associated with astrology, the superstition that stars influence our lives. Even today there are many people who consult their horoscopes.

For the followers of Jesus the stars have a different significance. Sun, moon, stars, the planets and their satellites, are all the work of God. He who set them in their courses will certainly also guide us on our way. Whatever our daily orbit, God will watch over our going out and our coming in.

The stars we see as we camp out under the open sky remind us of the star of Bethlehem that once guided the Magi to the Christ Child. (Matthew 2:1-12). We too worship Him, for He is God’s true Son, our Savior and our Lord, who exchanged His cradle for a cross to redeem us. During these days of your holiday or vacation as you look up to the stars, think of what they mean for your Christian faith.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, may the stars in the heavens above lead me closer to You, for You are the Morning Star of our faith. Amen.

(Taken from “Our Journey with Jesus” (out of print), copyright 1976, International Lutheran Laymen’s League.)

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 33, 43, 66    Philippians 1

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