ODJ: rising full moon
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known (vv.1-2).
READ: Psalm 19:1-4
One of the most magnificent sights in nature is the rising of a full moon. It’s bright and majestic and it looks absolutely huge as it ascends in the night sky!
As a full moon hovers just above the horizon, it appears much larger than normal. The “moon illusion,” as it’s known, is an optical illusion that tricks our eyes into thinking the moon is much larger when it’s near the horizon. But it’s not. The truth is that a full moon is not any closer or bigger when it’s at the skyline than when it’s directly overhead.
The rising full moon is such an impressive sight that God had to warn His people—those He had rescued from slavery in Egypt through awe-inspiring miracles—not to get caught up in worshiping it. “When you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth” (Deuteronomy 4:19). The people of the ancient city of Jericho should have taken those words to heart. For history tells us that their city, which would later be conquered by the Israelites in their Promised Land quest, had succumbed to lunar worship.
I’ve never gotten tired of seeing a full moon explode onto the scene of the night sky. I pray I never do. A sense of awe and wonder is an appropriate response. But instead of worshiping it, we should reflect on the One who created it. In the book of Psalms, God refers to the moon as His “faithful witness in the sky” (89:37).
Next time you find yourself gazing at a full moon rising, look past its stunning beauty to the God who hung it in the sky long ago (Genesis 1:14-18).
—Jeff Olson
What is the danger in worshiping the creation instead of the Creator? What in nature causes you to worship God? Why?
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Loading ...For Whatever A Man Sows…
By Robin Zachariahs, 18 years old, India
Many a time, we think we can “fool” God. We think we can commit wrong acts and get away with it. Yet even if one can deceive the 6 billion people living on the face of the earth, none can fool God. He sees our every move.
The other day, when my test results came out, I whined about my marks for I had messed up big time. Having taken the test after an apparent “lot of studying”, I couldn’t fathom why those guys who didn’t bother to study walked away smiling instead of me. I was so not pleased with God and thought things couldn’t get worse. But then, did I really study?
The question hit me hard. It reminded me that just because I sat at my desk all night doesn’t mean I was studying all night.
Apostle Paul’s letters to the churches were full of advice and wise lines. Being God’s servant, he knew very well how our human nature might lead us to believe something when the truth might be very different. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote:
“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked;
For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
—Galatians 6: 7—
Often, in our laziness or “over-smartness,” we tend to take shortcuts and wrong routes to reach our goals. These so-called “smart tricks” may have helped us reach the goal (more) easily— breaking many laws, making many mistakes in the process—and we may even gleefully exalt ourselves for evading human eyes! But stop and think for a moment: Did we really escape from everyone’s eyes?
Our Father above, He sees and knows everything. Not only does He see our actions, He knows our thoughts too. This means that He knows what we are going to do even before we commit the act. What a mighty God we serve! Our actions, thoughts, speech—everything around and about us—our Creator knows it well. He cannot be deceived or mocked.
So right now, I’m about to take out my books again.
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October 26, 2009
READ: Romans 8:26-29
Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. —Romans 8:29
As I walked into church one Sunday morning, a little boy looked at me and said to his mother, “Mom, is that Jesus?” Needless to say, I was curious to hear her response. “No,” she said, “that’s our pastor.”
I knew she would say no, of course, but I still wished she could have added something like, “No, that’s our pastor, but he reminds us a lot of Jesus.”
Being like Jesus is the purpose of life for those of us who are called to follow Him. In fact, as John Stott notes, it is the all-consuming goal of our past, our present, and our future. Romans 8:29 tells us that in the past we were “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” In the present, we “are being transformed into the same image” (the likeness of Christ), as we grow from “glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). And, in the future, “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
Being like Jesus is not about keeping the rules, going to church, and tithing. It’s about knowing His forgiveness, and committing acts of grace and mercy on a consistent basis. It’s about living a life that values all people. And it’s about having a heart of full surrender to the will of our Father.
Be like Jesus. You were saved for it! — Joe Stowell
Live in such a way that others see Jesus in you.
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