Read: Psalm 103:1-11; Psalm 8
As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him. (Ps. 103:11)
How high are the heavens above the earth? If you look at the dazzling images of deep space taken by the Hubble Space Telescope or the James Webb Space Telescope, you will see galaxies and nebulae whose distance from us is measured in light years. But long before there were such things as telescopes or pictures, the psalmist could feel the same sense of awe simply by looking up at the numberless stars on a clear desert night. It doesn’t take a satellite camera to make you feel small. “When I look at your heavens . . . the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him . . . ?” (Ps. 8:3-4)
Some have concluded that in a universe as big as ours, it’s absurd to believe in a God who cares about us. How could God be looking down at one tiny speck of dust, in one solar system, part of one galaxy, out of a gazillion of them? How could he love the little things running around on it?
The Bible draws a very different conclusion from the height of the heavens. It starts with the truth that God loves us. We know that because God has said so. And the conclusion it draws from the vastness of the skies above is that his love for us must be very great indeed. It’s more than 13.5 billion light years great; in fact, it is infinite!
As you pray, thank God for his infinite love.
David Bast is a writer and pastor who served for 23 years as the President and Broadcast Minister for Words of Hope. In his more than 40 years of devotional writing and preaching, he has been encouraging believers around the world to be shaped by God and his Word.
Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he is the author of nine devotional books and Bible studies, including God of My Days,Why Doesn't God Act More Like God,Christ in the Psalms, andA Gospel for the World.
Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and eight grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
