Job 9:9 – He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. (NIV)

When I first came to live in the United States, the sky seemed very different. It was more expansive. I used to spend a lot of time looking at the wonderful clouds during the day and peering at the vast array of stars at night.

Initially, I couldn't get my bearings from the night sky, because there were so many other stars that I had never seen in Scotland. So I looked for the three constellations mentioned in the Bible: the Great Bear, Orion the Hunter, and the seven sisters of Pleiades. Once I found them, I felt that I was back in familiar territory, and my sky view was re-established.

For most of my life, I have loved the stars. The first time I became conscious of them occurred when I was about four years old. My family was walking home together one winter's night, and I was playing a game with my shadow as we passed the street lamps one by one. Suddenly, I lost my shadow because the street lamp was broken and it was dark. I think I was about to cry, when my dad quietly said, "Don't be scared, John. Look up at the sky."

As I lifted up my head, I saw hundreds of shiny, twinkling dots in the sky. I was mesmerized and wanted to stay in the dark in order to keep looking at the night lights. "They're called stars, John," my dad said, "and they'll always be there, even in the darkest night."

Almost every night since then, before I go to my bed, I wander outside in the dark to look at the stars. They link me to happy days with my Dad in the past, they still mesmerize me with wonder today, and I see my future in the stars as I look forward to being with the Maker of the stars and the Creator of the universe. They are an important part of my life, and I am certain that through Jesus, they will still be a glorious part of eternity.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for the stars and for being the Maker of all the constellations, star systems, and stellar galaxies. Thank You for the wonder of starlight in the midst of the darkest of nights. Bless us with the goodness and eternal light of Your Son, Jesus, our Lord and Morning Star. In Christ's holy name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

John Stuart <traqair@aol.com>
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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