When I Consider the Heavens....

     We have studied the solar system many times in our family.  It is one of my favorite aspects of creation to explore!  There are many instances in the Bible that God uses the heavens to tell stories...not in an astrological way, but in an astronomical way!  I adore the lecture given by Rick Larson on the Bethlehem Star.  I cry each time I watch it.  The lecture doesn't just talk about the star of Bethlehem, it also reveals amazing things about what God did in the heavens at the time of the crucifixion.  What an amazing poet and artist our Heavenly Father is!  I will mess it up if I try and explain all that God had to do to make this happen at just the right time, so PLEASE watch the lecture live or on DVD if you get a chance.  It is amazing!
     I was thinking about this big, big universe one day.  I'm sure it was after I had watched "The Awe Factor of God" by Francis Chan. I encourage you to take a glimpse of this gigantic universe and ponder the fact that the God who created allllllllll of this, loves you with an insane, or as Francis Chan put it in his book, "Crazy Love".  We are tiny compared to the universe and compared to God.

     In my thoughts of the creation of the solar system, I realized what an awesome picture we have of our relationship to God within our own galaxy.  We are called to be Children of Light, once we have accepted Christ as our savior.  Ephesians 5:8  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Imagine that we are light to the world because of the sun...or the Son.  The Son keeps us going on the path we should go.  The Son is the source of light, and comfort.  Without the Son, our (spiritual) fruit would not grow.  I am to be filled with the Son, so that His light shines through me. 
 Matthew 5:16
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
     Then I thought of the times when I am down in the dumps and the last thing I feel is Jesus' light shining through me.  The times when darkness surrounds me.  When I am bearing very little fruit and I am feeling more cold than warmth in my soul.  If I remember that sorrows only last for the night, but joy comes in the morning...  (Psalm 30:5  5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.) ...that is my opportunity to act like the moon and reflect the Son!  The only way to do this is to absorb the character of Jesus through prayer, scripture and practice consistently, so that when that time comes I have some light reserved.  When I no longer feel shiny, I can choose to reflect Him anyway.  I need to act Christ-like even when I don't feel like it, knowing that the time will come when my spirit is renewed and I'll be able to allow his light to shine through me again.  Through prayer and scripture, I know that light will return!
     I love going through the story of creation with my children!  We were covering Genesis 1:3, and I came across this.   ³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.  HE SEPERATED LIGHT FROM DARKNESS!  They are not intended to hang out together.  Therefore, I need to be surrounded by light constantly.  When darkness invades, I need to fight it off by reflecting Him.  Proverbs 27:19  As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.  I actually have a friend who is an amazing speaker who wrote a Bible study by that name!  I encourage you to check out Reflective Life Ministries.  The Bible study is Reflecting Him by Carla McDougal.
     Finally, I thought about this:  In a lighted room, a dark corner can go almost unnoticed.  Yet, in a dark cave, a tiny beam of light draws everyone near.  Darkness cannot overcome light, but the tiniest bit of light can make a ton of darkness flee!  Imagine what a difference a bunch of people who choose to let the Son's light shine through them will make for a dark, dark world!