He also made the stars

I love to look at the stars; one of the blessings of a cold, clear winter’s night!  There don’t seem to have been many such nights this winter so far, which makes the few we have had even more special.  I’m no astronomer, but I enjoy watching Orion from my window.  He often looks as though he’s just waiting for me to turn away so that he can continue cartwheeling along the ridge of my neighbour’s roof!

The other night he seemed to be shining extra brightly, with the Great Orion Nebula clear to see too.  In fact it was such a starry night that I went outside for a better view and, of course, the longer I looked the more stars I could see.  In the end even Orion himself seemed almost swamped by them.

How small such a sight makes me feel.  Like Job, I am speechless before God’s questions: ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth… when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?...  Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion?’ (Job 38:4,7,31) 

What a glorious creation, and what an even more glorious Creator!

O Lord my God, I stand and gaze in wonder

On the vast heavens Thy wisdom hath ordained;

Sun, moon and stars continue at Thy pleasure,

From nothing called and by Thy power sustained.

O mighty God, my heart cries out to Thee,

How great Thou art! how great Thou art!

Thy praise shall sound throughout eternity,

How great Thou art! how great Thou art!

                                                          Eluned Harrison, based on Carl Gustaf Boberg

Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.  He made the stars also.

                                                                                                Genesis 1:16