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b'READ: GENESIS 1:14-19; PSALM 33:6; ISAIAH 40:26\\n\\n\\n\\nBOOM! POW! BANG! The thunderous echoes of a fireworks display ring out. The noise isn\\u2019t always great, but fireworks sure are beautiful when they light up the night sky. Gasps of \\u201cohh\\u201d and \\u201cahh\\u201d can be heard as rockets whistle through the air and burst into umbrellas of brilliant, jewel-like sparks. The sky fills with many brightly colored lights, making the dark almost as light as day. And though fireworks shoot up high into the atmosphere, they don\\u2019t hold a candle (pun intended) to the shining stars above. When God sees our fireworks, maybe He smiles and says, \\u201cQuite impressive, folks, but have you considered the lights I put in the sky? They can be seen all over the earth. And they don\\u2019t die out in a matter of seconds.\\u201d\\n\\n\\n\\nWhen we look up at the heavens, we get a glimpse of just how huge and vast the universe is. What an awesome reminder of how great and powerful God is\\u2014 and how much He loves us. He created the sun and moon and countless stars for His glory and pleasure, and also for us. He provided great spheres of fire and reflection so we could have lights in our sky, not just on festive days when fireworks illuminate the night, but every day.\\n\\n\\n\\nThe sun, moon, and stars\\u2014and everything else God created\\u2014remind us of the love of our Creator God. It\\u2019s hard to fathom that the all-powerful Maker, who made the \\u201cstarry host by the breath of his mouth\\u201d (Psalm 33:6), is the same God who became human and lived among us. His great love for us compelled Him to conquer sin and death so we could live with Him forever. And the only way to do this was by laying down His own life. Jesus, the Light of the world, was laid in the darkness of the grave\\u2014for us. But after three days, He rose again. And now Jesus sits enthroned over all creation. He directs the sun and moon and stars, and He is intimately involved in the details of our lives. He beckons us to put our trust in Him and experience \\u201cthe inexpressible and glorious joy\\u201d of knowing the One who formed the stars\\u2014and formed us (1 Peter 1:8). So today, let\\u2019s take a moment to behold Jesus\\u2019s beautiful universe and be reminded of His immense love for us and for all of creation. \\u2022 A. W. Smith\\n\\n\\n\\n\\u2022 Even though the universe is broken by sin and its effects, we can still see glimpses of God\\u2019s goodness in what He has made, and we can also look forward to the day Jesus will return and make all things new. According to Romans 8:18-25, how does God\\u2019s love impact creation? (If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 119:73; 139:1-12; John 1:1-5; 8:12; Colossians 1:15-20.)\\n\\n\\n\\nThe heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV)'