The other night I was watching a documentary on Apollo 13. At one point, they showed a view of space as the astronauts were looking out a window. It was dotted with glittering lights, stars were everywhere.

That view reminded me of a summer’s night many years ago. I was staying a friend’s home in Montana and found myself out on the back porch. I looked up and gasped. Plastered against a jet-black canvas were thousands of lights. They glistened and twinkled everywhere I looked. It was amazing!

I do not know much about space, but I love a little book called How Majestic is Thy Name by New Leaf Press. It spells out many amazing facts about our universe and draws our attention to the grandeur of our God. I thumb through it regularly.

So, according to the folks at New Leaf, “Some 100 billion stars light up the Milky Way alone and the cosmos harbors billions of galaxies, some vastly larger than our own.”

And those lights are not tiny. “Some of those twinkling little specks of light, such as the red giant Betelgeuse are actually up to 500 times larger than our own sun.”

Ps. 147:4-5 declares, “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.”

Since it is summertime, you and I might find ourselves out in the countryside somewhere where we can actually see some of those stars. If we do, let’s remember who created them and determined their number.  And let’s think for a bit about naming those beacons of light. Almighty God is so creative, I will bet that each name has a unique meaning too.

But if your vacation this year doesn’t include Montana, just go for a long drive out into the desert. Take the kids and a few beach chairs. Find a safe place to park. Break out the snacks.

And talk about the grandeur of God. Those stars tell His story!