Shining Like Stars
By Shauna Leis
“And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
2 Peter 1:19
Grace and I were sitting at Nathan’s baseball game, and it was starting to get quite chilly after the sun had gone down. We were snuggling together to try to stay warm and having a lively chat between the two of us. The sky was about as clear as it could possibly be, which added to the coolness of the night air. As we were sitting there, we both started to gaze up into the sky because it was just so bright and beautiful. The only lights for miles around were those of the baseball field so we had a fairly dark sky to compare against the bright lights of the field.
As we were sitting there, Grace asked me, “Momma, where are the stars? I don’t see any.” I told her it was just beginning to turn nighttime, but as the sky got darker with the sun going down, we would start to see the stars pop out. We both started to scan the sky looking for the first star to pop out against the black background of the sky. It became almost a game for the two of us to determine who would find the first star. Finally, Grace, full of excitement, shouts, “I see it Momma. I see the first star!”
Grace had been looking intently, trying to see some semblance of light that contrasted against the black of the night sky, which would indicate to her that the first star had appeared. Just like the verse in 2 Peter above, she was looking for “the light shining in a dark place.” And is it not amazing to think about that light in the form of the stars? Those stars are billions of miles away, and yet they are so incredibly bright we still see their light shining against the darkness in our sky.
So, I have to ask the question of us all. Are we being like the stars in the night? Are our lights shining so brightly that even from very, very far off, people can see the light of Jesus shining through our lives? In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus was speaking to the disciples and said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Jesus desired for the disciples to know that others would be watching them and their deeds to determine what this heavenly Father was truly like.
Unfortunately, the same is true of you and me. There are many times when others in this world, who do not know God and His saving mercies, are watching us to determine what kind of God He truly is. If we are exhibiting God’s love and joy at all times in our lives, then they assume that He, too, is full of love and joy. However, if we are demonstrating judgment and condemnation, others assume that God, too, is full of the same. Friends, there are times that our lives are a very poor reflection to others of God’s true nature. However, there are also times when we clearly mirror everything God is by how we live our lives in front of others.
Now, thankfully just like the star example for Grace, it just takes a very small light against the darkness to make a difference. This world contains so much evil and darkness. Ephesians 6:12 indicates, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” When compared against the darkness of this evil world, even our small attempts at light can make such a huge difference. In Acts 26:17-18, Paul is retelling what Jesus said to him on the road to Damascus. Remember this is where Paul experienced his conversion to Christian life. Jesus said to him, “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
Jesus wants to do the same thing with our lives, too. He longs for our example of how we live to bring others to Him, to have them longing to understand what has made the difference in our lives and how we live. Have you turned your life over to Him yet and allowed Him to make the difference between a life of darkness and evil versus a life of light and hope? All you have to do is ask Him into your life today, and He will change your life so you, too, are like the stars shining in the darkness.
Pray with me: Precious God, You are light. We are so honored that You would choose to let Your light shine through us. We know that we are such a poor reflection of You, but You use us regardless of how well we reflect Your light. You use us because we are willing to reflect it in this dark and evil world. Lord, clean up our lives so that we can better mirror Your light to the world. We love You so very much and pray all of this in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord! Amen.