The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars

 

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. (Genesis 1:14–19 ESV).

 

I am indebted to the Bryson City, NC, travel website for our photo today. Originally it was taken by one of the staff photographers with Up N’ Adam Adventures. The location of the photo is Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park along the Cove Road. While I have never seen the Milky Way in the Smokies, I have witnessed the incredible display of God’s creation in other locations. It is nothing short of spectacular!

 

Those times when I have lingered in the woods after a day of hunting, walking back to camp as the stars began to make their appearance known are memorable. Perhaps the most memorable is the occasional shooting star that streaks across the sky. It is grandeur at its apex.

 

In our reading today, the sun and moon get most of the attention. But we are told that God “also made the stars.” It’s as if God poked trillions of little holes in the backdrop of the night sky. Even on the darkest nights, when the moon is nowhere in sight, the stars remind us that God’s light is still present. The darkness will not overcome God’s light.

 

Admittedly, I long for God’s actions in my life to be as bright as the sun, as clear as a full moon, or as awe-inspiring as a shooting star. But I often overlook God’s faithful presence in the background. The stars remind us that God is always there. This can also remind us that Jesus entered the world on an otherwise ordinary night and that God even used a star to announce his birth. There is hope in the darkness because God “also made the stars.”

 

As you look at the lights of the night sky, would you be reminded that Jesus is the ultimate Light in the darkness!