Isaiah 40: 26
“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.”
From Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible:
“…the sun, moon, and stars; consider the Creator of them, what a glorious Being he must be; what power he must be possessed of; what dazzling light he must dwell in; what glory and majesty he must be clothed with…
that bringeth out their host (armies) by number; not only into being … but at every proper season; causing the sun to rise every morning, the stars to appear at night, and the moon in its revolution; as a general brings forth his army, marshals it in order, musters it, and takes the number of his soldiers … he calleth them all by names … which no astrologer can pretend unto; and this is such knowledge as no general of an army has; for though the stars are innumerable to men, the names of most unknown, they are all known to him that made them…”
While this citation specifically refers to God and His command of the heavens, to me it is a beautiful metaphor for God’s care of each of us. No one is unknown, forgotten, or left out. God knows every man, woman, and child individually, and each of us, like every star, has a place, order, and purpose. He calleth us all by names. But are we listening? Like soldiers who follow their general, we must listen and obey God’s commands. How? In my own life, I need to constantly get in the practice of asking, Father, what do you want me to do right now? And then quietly listening and obeying!