Psalm 147:4 (NKJV)
He counts the number of stars; He calls them all by name. 

If you had nothing to do and decided you wanted to count each number from one to one million, it would take you 11.57 days.  This would be at a pace of one number per second.  This would be an impossible task.  It was difficult for me to intelligibly say the number 999,949 under three seconds.  You would have to take time to breathe in-between numbers, drink water, and possibly eat.  You would have to sleep or you would literally die.  This is an unrealistic challenge. 

Recent research suggests there are somewhere between 100 billion and 400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy alone.  Research also suggests that there are 200 sextillion stars in the observable universe (200 billion trillion stars, or the number 200 followed by 21 zeros).  If you lived to be 7,926 years of age, and dedicated your entire life to counting up to 200 sextillion, you would be able to count all of the known stars, but only if you were able to count one star per second.  In other words, you would need longer than 7,926 years to accomplish this goal. 

The Bible does say, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26, NKJV).  I believe counting the stars is something only God can do and, in fact, He has!  His Word says so.  Not only has He counted each star but He has also called each individual star by name.  Of course, He is God.  He can do anything He desires.  Time, as we understand time, is certainly on God’s side to complete this task.  The one thing I love about this verse is that He provides a name for each star.  My guess would be that no two stars have the same name.  He cares about His stars. Imagine the care He has for you!  

He is a great God!  He is an amazing God!  He is a personal God!  He is so vast that He counts all of the stars, observable and non-observable.  Yet, He is so intimate that He makes each of us in the secret place (Ps. 139:15), weaving our veins, bones, muscles, and all areas of our bodies into His perfect masterpiece.  When we look at one another, we see God’s creation.  When we observe the stars, we see God’s creation.  We cannot escape His creation.  We can never escape God Himself (Ps. 139:7-12).  He is a magnificent God and He is worthy to be praised (Ps. 145:3)!

Copyright 2025 Michael Callahan Ministries, LLC