Before the Stars… He Knew My Name

One Story. One God. One Unfailing Love.

I can still remember it.

August 23, 1973.

Graduation day at Lock Haven College, now called Lock Haven University.

I had completed my education, and there I sat among many, many graduates, all wearing the same cap and gown, all waiting for that one moment.

Our names were called one by one.

Then suddenly, I heard it.

“Cynthia Lee Hopple.”

My name.

Out of all those graduates, my name was called. I stood, walked across the stage, and received my diploma.

It was my moment.

But looking back now, more than fifty years later, I realize something far more amazing.

Long before August 23, 1973… God knew my name.

Before there was a graduation, before there was a diploma, before there was even a Cindy…

He knew me.

Before the stars had names, He knew mine.

When God called Jeremiah, He said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

God was speaking specifically to Jeremiah about his calling, but there is something beautiful about the heart of God tucked inside those words.

God is a God who knows us.

He knew Jeremiah before Jeremiah was born.

And He knew you before you were born.

He knew your strengths and weaknesses, your joys and disappointments, your faith and your questions. He knew the beautiful chapters and the messy ones—the chapters you proudly share and the ones you might prefer to leave out of the family photo album.

He knew it all.

And knowing it all…

He loved you.

But there is something even more astonishing.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:3–4 that before the creation of the world, God already had a plan for those who would trust Jesus as their Savior. His plan was to send Jesus to die in their place so they could be cleansed of their sin and made holy and blameless in His sight.

Think about that.

John 3:16 tells us, “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

God didn’t wait until we were good enough to make a way for us.

He made the way first.

Before there was a star in the sky, there was already a Savior in God’s plan.

Before I ever knew Him, He loved me.

And that is the kind of God He is.

He didn’t create us because He needed us. He created us because He wanted to share His love with us. He gave us the ability to choose because real love cannot be forced. He wants us to freely receive His love and freely choose to love Him in return.

His love is a gift.

And when we receive that gift, it begins to change us. The more we understand how deeply God loves us, the more we can let His love flow through us to others.

God loved us first. We simply get to receive that love—and then let it flow through us to others.

So the next time you find yourself beneath a sky filled with stars, pause for a moment.

Let your eyes adjust to the darkness until those tiny lights begin to appear.

And remember:

Before the stars… He knew me.

And He knew you.

Before I had a name… He knew my name.

And He knew your name.

Before I ever knew Him… He loved me.

And He loved you.

And I don’t know about you, but somehow, that makes me feel very, very loved and very, very special.

A Thought to Carry With You

Before the stars were ever hung in the sky, God knew your name—and He loved you.

And Tomorrow…

What happens when the person God loves completely chooses to walk away?