How many stars are there? At one time people thought they could count them. Now, with all our technology, with the precision of incredible instruments which can probe further than we can even imagine, we know the truth. The stars are so many that they cannot ever be counted. Our calculators do not have enough zeroes to accommodate the stars in even one slice of the universe.
Our most advanced computers which can do millions of calculations a minute could never count the stars.
An article in the London Daily Telegraph (July 23, 2003) says that there are ten times more stars in the night sky than grains of sand in the world’s deserts and beaches. The most accurate estimate yet is that the number of stars visible by telescope from the earth is seven followed by 22 zeroes – 70,000 million million million.
To arrive at the latest estimate of star numbers, scientists in Scotland and Australia counted not individual stars, but all the galaxies in one small region of the universe “close” to the earth.
Yet, Someone knows the number. There is One who calls each star by name! The One who stretched out the heavens knows each and every star. How can it be that the Star-maker should care for you and me?
The sand of the seashore is also beyond all our ability to number. The great stars of the vast universe and the most insignificant grains of sand have in common that they are literally innumerable.
No two stars are alike, and I would confidently assert that no two grains of sand are alike either. How can I be sure? Because I know the Manufacturer and He is creative beyond all our powers of comprehension. He doesn’t have to stamp things out of a mould like we do, boring everyone half to death with millions of identical items. Every item in His creation is specially crafted. The beloved Carpenter makes each thing unique.
Whatever will it be like when He makes all things new? “Behold, I make all things new.” Rev 21:5 God uses the stars and the sand in His great promise to Abraham: “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies…” Genesis 22:17 “And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.” Genesis 32:12 “If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand… “ Psalm 139:18
God has set His glory in the heavens; what a mighty God we serve! We praise You, Lord Jesus, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. We praise You and thank You with all our hearts for opening our understanding to Your greatness, Your great love, and for revealing to us a glimpse of Your glory. We praise You and offer You our love.