Just two weeks ago, on July 20th we celebrated the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo moon landing. As a galactic space nerd, I enjoy looking at the cosmos and looking back (and forward ) at space travel. It’s just amazing to think about.
On their way back to earth from the moon, Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin said this, “…in reflecting on the events of the past several days, a verse from Psalms comes to mind. ‘When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the Moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man that Thou art mindful of him?”
How much more moving that verse must have been when you can look out the window of a spaceship and see the moon so big and bright, or the stars clearer and brighter than you could ever see on the earth. We don’t yet have the privilege of seeing the stars from the heavens themselves, but we can still see the moon and stars from the earth and enjoy their beauty that shines through the atmosphere. Not to mention we have a tremendous gallery of photos from those distant planets and space.
Let’s go ahead and read Psalm 8:1-9:
“When I consider Your heavens,
the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of
him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under His feet,
7 All sheep and oxen –
Even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!”
Amen! It’s such a powerful Psalm. But you may be asking how this Psalm can relate to survivors of sexual violence and faith-based abuse? Let’s answer that question.
This Psalm exalts the power of God. It Praises His excellence and it reveals His authority and awesome might as our Creator, the one who owns the vastness of space. Who placed the moon in its orbit and causes the stars to shine forth. When we consider just the elements of His creation that are beyond this world, we are astounded at His glory and power.
Now comes the hit: that God that speaks and creates worlds, who has the power to set a gigantic ball of fire in space to give light to distant worlds, and carefully planned out the orbits of celestial bodies; He is not only Lord and Creator of heaven and earth. No, verse 9 says that He is ‘our Lord.’
Not only is He our personal Lord, but verse 4 is where the power really comes from. Read it again.
God the King and Creator, He is mindful of us. He’s mindful of YOU! Despite creating billions and billions of galaxies and being responsible for charting the courses of planets and even galaxies, He is mindful of you! And He wants to visit you!
He is the Creator, but He is also a loving friend, who, if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. He cares about everything you’ve gone through and all the hurt and pain that you carry. He has a deep interest in your life. After all, He gave His only Son so that you could live. By doing this, He rescued you and once again made you His child. He loves and care for you that much.
So the next time you look up and consider with awe and wonder the stars and moon; whenever you consider His works, whether here upon the earth, beneath the sea, or in the vastness of the universe; remember that the God who created all of this wants to visit you. He is ever thinking of you and loves you.
Here’s a photo gallery for the Hubble Space Telescope, in case you want to further consider the wonders of God: