Our Scripture reading for this Sunday is Psalm 19 (especially focusing on the first six verses).

===

b2ap3_thumbnail_milky-way-984050_960_720.jpg

One night this week I encourage you to read Psalm 19 after it is already dark and then go outside and stare up at the night sky. If you live where there is a lot of light so it's hard to see the stars, I encourage you to go out into the county, away from street lights, and stare up at the stars (it's a new moon this week so there won't be much to see as far as the moon). 

As you do this, think about how big God is, how amazing God is, how extravagant and powerful and mighty God is. Those stars are millions and millions of kilometers away from us (the closest star is 4.22 light years away OR 39,900,000,000,000 km away).

It's amazing to think that big. Not only did God create the earth and our solar system, but He made the entire universe which is made up of thousands and millions of galaxies -- stuff that we cannot even see with our naked eye. His creation is so extravagant and so beautiful and we don't even know where it ends.

And yet, as you take all that in, the wonder of all wonders is that as big as God's creation truly is, and how small we are in comparison ... God cares so deeply for us. God loves us. As Matt Redman writes, "The beautiful truth is this: He who calls out the stars, and names them one by one, knows each of us by name also. It is grace of astronomic proportions."

For the Gospel message is this:

"When our foolish rebellion separated us from the God who formed us to both know and love Him forever, Jesus, who said, 'Let there be light,' spoke up for you and me. And in the end, in human skin, the sinless and perfect Son of God exchanged His life for every twisted thing that we have done. In that single act, the star breather became the sin bearer. The universe maker became humanity's Saviour. It truly is astronomical grace."

-- Louie Giglio (from the book "Indescribable: Encountering the Glory of God in the Beauty of the Universe")