Photo by Klemen Vrankar on Unsplash
A few days ago, I went back to reading the first chapter of Genesis. I was captivated anew by the majestic awesomeness of our creative God, the intentionality of His design and how nothing God does is random. Everything has a purpose.
Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says, “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16 ( NIV)
Let me repeat that last line – all things have been created through him and for him. Nothing random about what God does. There’s purpose and intent behind everything He created. Let’s travel back to Genesis chapter one and see just one tiny glimpse of this intentionality in action.
Oh, how majestic are thy works in all the earth. I am still smiling in recollection of the moment the Holy Spirit gives me this glimpse.
We know the story of how God says, let there be light and there was light. On He goes on creating, then we get to verses 14 – 16 which reads,
“Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and they shall serve as signs and for seasons, and for days and years; and they shall serve as lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the [expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth …”
Wait a minute, did you notice that … He made the stars also. He made the sun, the moon and the stars. These lights He made were to serve as signs and for seasons, and for days and years. Placed in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.
At the time of writing this piece, there is a beautiful, bright and full moon in the sky, and I pictures I took, do not do it justice. The stunning sliver light it casts over my back garden makes me catch my breath at seeing a practical application of the lesser light giving light on the earth. But I digress. This is not about the captivating light of the moon
God made the stars also. Not only did He make them, but He also knows how many there are, and He assigns names to each of them.
“He counts the number of the stars;
He gives names to all of them.
Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His understanding is infinite”. Psalm 147:4-5 NASB
I don’t know about you but that is just a Wow moment right there! Each star has been given a name. Those same stars which God used as an analogy to give childless Abram a promise of uncountable descendants … look to the heavens and count the stars, if indeed you can count them, so shall your offspring be.
Uncountable names for uncountable stars …
From the pages of Genesis, let’s travel to the first book of the New Testament, Matthew. In Chapter 2, the Bible records that wise men from the East arrived in Jerusalem, searching for the One born as King of the Jews, for they had seen His star in the east and had come to worship Him.
When Herod the king hears this, he was troubled by the news, along with all of Jerusalem. After making his enquires, he secretly calls the wise men and commands them to search for the Child, make their report to him so that he too, could worship Him. The wise men went on their way and the star they had seen in the east went on before them until it stood over the place where the child was.
“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy”. Mathew2:10 NASB.
We know that God made the stars, and He gave names to all of them. It is a little thing for Him to call the particular star (after all, they have names) … go, appear where the wise men in the East will see you, bring them to the place where they will find baby Jesus. Go, shine for Jesus!
In Genesis, we learnt that stars, like the sun and moon, are for signs and seasons, and for days and years to give light to the earth. The star led the Magi to the Messiah. It lit their journey until they came to the place where the true Light of the world lay.
There is nothing random about what God does.
As He created the stars, he knew one of the stars would play a pivotal role in capturing the wise men’s interest and igniting their worship.
The star’s purpose – Go, shine and light the way to Jesus. A reminder of our purpose as well – we are to shine for Jesus and show others the way to Him.
All things have been created through him and for him. May the knowledge and understanding of that truth fuel your journey, this 2024.
Thank you for reading.
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