Psalm 147:1-5;10-11 (CB)

Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure...His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

The number of stars is still uncountable by human science, yet God knows them by name. Job speaks of the creation, when “the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). Psalm 19 tells us that, unless you repress it, you can still hear the stars singing about their maker. “They all rejoice, and utter forth a glorious voice; For ever singing, as they shine, “The Hand that made us is Divine.” This immense God is given pleasure, real joy and delight, when human beings put their life’s hope in his gracious love. Great is our Lord!

Prayer: Lord, it is astonishing that I can bring you delight. And this delight does not come and go depending on my performance but is unvarying because I am “In Christ” (Ephesians1:3–4). Let me start every day meditating on “the only eyes in the universe that count are delighted in me.” Amen.