The Affirming Word of the Stars

The starry hosts declare our place in God’s heart.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
Psalm 8:3 English Standard Version

Standing under the stars on clear, moonless night is a humbling experience especially when you’re in the mountains. The vastness of the universe is not as spectacular in our light polluted cities. I might be able to find the Big Dipper or Orion’s Belt standing on the streets of Colorado Springs, but I will not see the Milky Way or the billions of stars and galaxies that fill the dark spaces of the night sky.

Lutheran Valley Retreat, Colorado

Lutheran Valley Retreat, Colorado

What we see when we’re far removed from light pollution is what King David experienced every cloudless night. It should not surprise us that he contemplated his life while standing under the stars.

“Who am I, God, that you would think about me for a millisecond?”

“Who am I, God, that you would care about my puny, human existence?”

As David stood looking up and then looking inside, he declares, “…you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.” I don’t know how David came to this conclusion, but, instead of being filled with hopelessness, he declares how wonderful we are as the crown of God’s creation.

God even made Jesus, the Son of Man, a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor because of his death and resurrection. We fully understand that God has crowned us with glory and honor through Jesus passion for us.

Standing under the stars, galaxies, and Milky Way we hear the affirming Word of God, “I love you and will never leave you for you are my child.”

Copyright Douglas P Brauner

About Douglas Brauner

I'm a retired pastor, blogger, and photographer. (Oh, and did I mention husband and father?) I encourage people who wrestle with life to focus on Christ so that they experience hope and joy on life's treadmill.