God knows each of the countless stars; not a sparrow falls without his knowledge, and the hairs of our head are numbered. He does not want us to try to compete with him in power but simply to trust in his love for us. The second part of this psalm praises God’s care for Israel. In the beginning was the Word, creating all things, including even disruptive elements—like transforming flowing water into solid ice or causing snowfall in the hot land of Palestine! And He can change us too: the Word of God, Jesus Christ, reveals God’s will; He is the Way, guiding us from misery to peace and happiness.
Our God bridges the gap between the order of the universe and each of our lives. He calls the stars by name and lifts up the humble. He is close to each of his children, but He comes to them through the reality—often misleadingly human—of his Church.
The Jews marveled at water turning to ice: how could God transform the elements so? Similarly, we marvel when God melts situations in our world that once seemed permanently frozen.
From this psalm, we can turn to the Johannine hymn (Jn 1:1-14) and then return to the psalm. We are God’s people on a journey on this earth, gathered in the Church. We pray this psalm of thanksgiving because it is proper and essential to give unceasing thanks to God through Jesus.