A bigger perspective

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars;

he gives to all of them their names.

Psalm 147:3-4

These two stanzas of musical magnificence encourage me with two important understandings about God. They show me a God Who is as completely perfect in the span of a minute as He is in the outstretched awesomeness of eternity. The scope of God’s reach is more than I can take in. These verses move me to wonder and to worship as the Holy Spirit sings them softly in my heart right now. Let me attempt a meager explanation as to why that is…

God cares tenderly. He never misses a broken heart. No sorrow is concealed from His loving eyes. He made us. He knows us. He cares for us. He seeks to heal what is broken in us. He wants hurts healed. He moves to make our lives better. He binds our wounds like the most caring of physicians. He nourishes us and nudges us on and tenderly cares for our souls. He heals our brokenness. And in Jesus what was broken most in our hearts was remedied at the cross, healed by His resurrection from the dead, and renewed by faith as the Holy Spirit regenerated our broken hearts when we believed the gospel. There is no care more tender than that! And God knows, my wounds right now are bound in His healing salve. God knows my broken heart rests in His healing hands, awaiting, and receiving His constant tender care. 

God controls intimately. God’s sovereign love leads even the stars of the universe. Our Milky Way galaxy has around 100 billion stars. It is estimated there are roughly 2 trillion galaxies in the universe. God has thus intimately known, and named 200 BILLION TRILLION stars! That vast amount of control (He determines the number of the stars in this psalm) coupled with His intimate care (He gives ALL of them their names) gives us insight into the character of God. He does not need to be intimate at that level. And yet He simply is. God is never distant. Not even with stars! He is intimate, even as He is vast, unquantifiable, and beyond the scope of our mind-boggling immense cosmos! The universe is just one of His thoughts. So I think my little day-to-day concerns are in good hands when they are in His hands! God has got this. Really. I just need to trust His perspective, His care, and His control.