I will be the first to admit I do not know much about astronomy. It has always seemed to be the study of things so very far away. And it isn’t something I understand. I am always grateful for those who do who can help me along. What I do know is the sky is full of beauty first thing in the morning on a cool crisp early run. I’m always out before the sun rises which gives me the opportunity to see all my eyes and mind can take in. The moon has been especially big and bright lately. As I gaze up in the sky, I see stars reminding me God has put every single one of them in place for such a time as this. I stand amazed. But lately I have noticed this one star. It seems more brilliant than all the rest. It is almost so bright that it stands alone. I could tell there was something different about this particular star. I continued to admire it for several weeks until I found someone to ask. I attend church with a friend who knows much more about astronomy than I do (not that it takes that much to know more than me). He has a telescope and enjoys searching the great beyond in precise detail. So I asked him about this star. He made a guess on what he thought it was but gave me the link to an app that would tell me for sure. I went out yesterday and sure enough, he was right. This is why it is important to surround yourself with people smarter than yourself. The star? It was Venus.
This may not surprise you. But it sure surprised me. A planet that I have studied and always just had in my mind that it was so distant I could not see, appears as a brilliant star in my own backyard! That’s simply amazing to me. What I thought was so far off, so unreachable, is within sight of my own eyesight. This reminds me of God.
God often seems so distant, especially when we are grieving. He can become a concept rather than Someone tangible. We can talk about God as if he is off in another universe never to be noticed. And yet, I feel his love. In some strange and amazing way, I understand that he knows me by name. It isn’t that I am especially good or hold any particular status. He knows me because he created me. And he did the same for you. God loves us beyond our comprehension, just because that’s who he is. I stand amazed.
I want you to know that God is very near. He is so near he feels your heart break and understands your pain. He isn’t some distant thought but a very near healer. You are grieving, that doesn’t change. Your loved one is not here, nothing fixes it. But God is present, real, and evident right before you. I pray you experience him today.
As you grieve, you do not grieve alone. As you struggle, you do not struggle by yourself. As you search, know that you are already found. God is near. And you mean more than you know to him.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 73:28
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
to tell of all your works.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 