A Star Is Born

“He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.” Psalm 147:4 KJV

Have you ever wondered while staring up at the sky at night how all those beautiful lights came to be? Surely you’ve wondered what stars are made of. The star is one of the most recognizable shapes in the world today. You’ll most likely recognize the shape of a star that looks like this.

However, a star in real life looks much different. A star is an actual ball of gas that gives off light and heat. A more accurate image of a star would be this.

Stars are born within clouds of dust and scattered throughout the galaxy. One example of a dust cloud is the Orion Nebula. Within these clouds, there is movement that causes masses where gas and dust can begin to collapse under its own gravitational pull. As the cloud collapses, the material at the center begins to heat up. The hot core at the heart of the collapsing cloud will one day become a star. 

While this is just a simple explanation of something that is far more complex in its formation, we marvel at how God is the one who placed each one in the sky. He knows when and where a star will go, and He knows its name. This means that each star has a purpose for being where they are. 

In the Christmas story, we read about a special kind of star. This star caught the attention of the wise men who learned of a king who was to be born in Bethlehem. The star was the marking of His birth place where not only the wise men came to worship but shepherds too. 

This was no ordinary star as it appeared and disappeared without us really knowing why - except for the purpose of leading some wise men to see a very special baby. While scientists may be baffled by this phenomenon, we know that God is the one who made the stars. For Him to make one more to serve a unique purpose shouldn’t be a surprise. He is the Creator of the entire universe after all. 

Whether you are talking about the regular stars in the sky or the special one God created for the birth of His Son, we know that a star represents three things.

1. Light - A star was created to give light. In fact, the big star in the centre of our solar system, the sun, was created at the right location to give just about the right amount of light to sustain life on Earth. Genesis 1:16 talks about how God created these lights for us. What this represents is God not leaving us in darkness. He knows we need help to find our way, and He makes the provisions for us to see our path so we do not stumble in the dark. 
2. Heat - Again, the sun is positioned at just the right distance to give us warmth where planets that are further away from us, known as the ice giants, are nothing but ice and rock. Sometimes our lives can become hectic, frustrating, and confusing. The heat from a star reminds us of God’s love that brings warmth to our hearts when we are feeling lonely, distraught, or unsure of our circumstances.
3. A lasting source - While stars do burn out, it takes quite a while for that to happen. Our sun, for example, has lasted for thousands of years, burning brightly at the centre of our solar system. This fact reminds us of Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) which says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” While the stars in our solar system seem to last forever, eventually they will die, but God is forever. No matter what circumstances we face, God is always there for us, shining down on us to help us along the way.  

Make your own star!

Use this simple craft to remind you of the special star at Christmas time that reminds us of a God who shines upon us. 

Here’s what you’ll need

• Christmas Star Template
• Coloured paper (choose your favourite)
• Scissors
• String or ribbon
• Stickers/decals, glitter (optional)

Print out the template on your favourite colour paper. You can even mix and match! Follow the instructions on the template to create your star. Make more than one if you have time!