Who Are We that You Are Mindful of Us?

One of the “benefits” of winter in the Edmonton area is more opportunities to see the stars. Right now we are in the time of year when we get about 7-8 hours of daylight. So that’s 17 hours of darkness with which we can see the night sky. I see the stars when I walk the dog in the morning. I see the stars when I drive home from work. I see the stars if I go for an evening walk.

When I actually take time to contemplate them, they’re pretty amazing. I see the Big Dipper and Orion’s belt. They remind me of the greatness of our galaxy and the universe beyond. They also remind me of my smallness compared to the entire universe.

Yet this does not mean that God views us as small and insignificant. Psalm 8:3-4 states, “When I consider your heavens; the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them; human beings that you care for them?”

God is mindful of us. His mind is full of us despite the vastness of the universe. He stamped us with His image. He has plans and purposes for our lives. He has works for us to do and responsibilities He empowers us to fulfill. The rest of Psalm 8 goes on to describe these.

The vastness of the universe and the stars in the sky can give us this great perspective. The universe is vast. It’s Creator is brilliant and all-powerful. Yet the Creator is mindful of us. In light of this awesome privilege and empowerment, let us go forward into this week and year by His strength.

“Thank you Father God for the stars. I suppose you could have made our galaxy with only the sun. We would still live, breath and have the fine tuned planet on which we could live. Yet the stars “which you have set in place” dominate the sky. They point to you. Help us to see them, see You, and see ourselves in light of what they teach us.”