Stars

As a little girl, I loved lying on my back in the grass, staring into the beautiful Colorado sky. Daytime gazing brought puffy white clouds leisurely floating by, and nighttime brought the wonder of the Milky Way far above me. It was magical!

The other night, I sensed the Lord inviting me outside. It was a good night to be reminded of his beautiful creation. So I grabbed my favorite blanket, headed out to the deck, and plopped down into my favorite chair. Sure enough, the Milky Way was still there! Star after star twinkled in the black sky – little pinpoints of light that brought beauty and wonder to anyone who would pause long enough to see it. And I was delighted to be one of those people. Although the stars were light years away, their light blazed so brilliantly that I could still see them from my little vantage spot on the back deck in suburban Colorado.

Until the neighbor’s back porchlight came on.

Anyone who has longed to see the night sky in detail knows that they need to get away from light pollution – the surrounding light that is closer – in order to see the light that is farther away with more clarity. Well, my neighbor’s light was pretty close and seemed to dim the brilliance of the stars above me. I was a little frustrated over the interruption. But as soon as the porchlight went off, the brilliance of the stars could be seen again. The stars did not actually lose their brightness, it just appeared that way because of what was closer to me in the moment.

The Lord is my light and salvation – whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

Have the stars dimmed for you recently? Is there a challenge close to you right now that is burning so brightly it appears to outshine the truth of God’s brilliance, his sovereignty, in that very situation? As his sons and daughters, let’s remind ourselves and one another that we do not need to be afraid. We know the truth of his Word, we know we are loved, we know his glory is never dimmed, and we know that he delights in coming to our rescue…with his truth…with his love…with his light.

You are adored.