Some of the most awe-inspiring moments I have had in my life have come in the times when I am able to get away from the lights of a big city, in the quiet darkness of night, and gaze into the sea of stars that surround us. In these moments, it amazes me that we are such a small blip in an otherwise massive universe, a universe that was wonderfully created by our Creator, God. Just imagine that in our galaxy, the Milky Way, over 200 billion stars exist. 200,000,000,000. That is a massive number! A number that large is tough for us to comprehend, yet here we are, tiny little humans, on a tiny little planet, floating amongst billions of stars, created by the very same creator who made those stars.
The writer in Psalms reminds us that God knew us from the very start:
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
— Psalm 139:13–14
God not only created the universe, but he took the time to knit each and every one of us together inside of our mothers’ wombs. God knows about each hair on your head and every freckle and blemish on your skin, because he placed them there to make you exactly who you are today. He made us in his image, knowing full well that we would not live up to the perfect Son he sent to die for us. The Son he sent to die for us so that we could continue to live in harmony with him beyond our time here on Earth.
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
— Romans 5:8
Christ died for us. God loves us enough to have sent a perfect Savior to die on the cross, for your mother whose womb you were created in, for your neighbor or coworker who has no idea of the love God gives us, and certainly for you. As we struggle within ourselves, day in and day out, to have a better life here in this place, take the time to escape to look at the stars and remember that the same God who created them also created you, and he loves you enough to send his only Son down to replace those very sins we struggle with. Rest in God’s love and creation today, and strive to be more like him each and every moment.