On a clear night, away from city lights, you can look up into a sky sprinkled with 2,500 stars. Since two or three stars can appear as one, there are likely even more. Beyond the naked eye, scientists estimate our galaxy contains 100 billion stars. Our Milky Way Galaxy is only one of billions of galaxies. Is the number of stars getting astronomical yet?

Now think of the speed of all those stars and galaxies. Our planet rotates at the equator at 1,040 miles per hour and orbits the sun at 67,062 miles per hour. Stars like the sun travel at 43,500 miles per hour, while the entire solar system orbits around the Milky Way at 514,495 miles per hour and the Milky Way rotates at 600,000 miles per hour.

All of the rotating and orbiting goes on simultaneously through all the galaxies. Think of all that synchronized motion. How can there not be a God?

A God that big has the power and, most importantly, the love to help each of us in our own daily challenges. When we feel overwhelmed, all we have to do is look up and know that the same God who made the stars is right here with us. Trusting God is the key that frees us to live with peace and hope.

What do you think or feel when you gaze up at God’s sparkling display?

(Star facts taken from Science Illustrated, July/August 2011, p. 58-59)