Did you get a chance to see the Christmas Star or one of the other names people have called it? Our eyes got to behold a phenomenon in the skies that has not happened for 400-800 years! Two planets appeared to align because they were unusually close as far as appearance from earth’s viewpoint and only about 1/10 of a degree apart. They were actually hundreds of millions of miles apart as far as real distance goes. I have seen several photographs that must have been taken with a high powered camera/telescope because what my naked eyes beheld was not that magnificent! Nevertheless I had prayed for clear skies here and that afternoon it went from cloudy and overcast to bright, cloudless skies!

What it did do is remind me once again that 2,000 years ago a similar occurrence happened, whether the aligning of these two planets or something totally different and supernatural. It was such a phenomenon that astrologers from a far eastern country made the long, arduous journey to pay tribute to the One they had read about in the ancient Hebrew texts. Shepherds staying in close by pastures ran into the little community of Bethlehem when the Angel announced the birth of their long-awaited Savior.

I just watched the Christmas version of “The Chosen” and my favorite scene is the crippled shepherd whose passionate faith caused him to overcome his disability and run to where the new-born baby was laying. The joy on his face is something I wish for every believer who has placed their hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. I wept for joy with him as I recalled my own awakening many years ago.

In the midst of a year filled with great turmoil and uncertainty which still looms on our horizon, I can truly rejoice because my peace and joy are not based upon the circumstances that have surrounded me this past year. I do not know what my own future holds as far as the details of day-to-day life go. None of us do. We have hopes and plans but we all know those things can change drastically at a moment’s notice. Some of us are dealing with health issues, some with financial issues, others with family and relational issues that have an uncertain outcome. Nevertheless, if we are believers who are living out our faith according to the Word of God, we can truthfully say, when someone asks us “how are you doing?” that we are” Blessed” and we can say it with confidence.

I cannot emphasize it enough but as days grow darker and life may become even more difficult, as eternal beings who have placed our hope in the Savior of the world, we must remember that this “in time period” of our eternity, as a friend of mine has described it, is just that. It is only a small portion of our eternity. I personally believe we are in a time of testing and training for the future. I also believe as we grow in our understanding of who we are and our eternal purpose, we are learning how to tap into our inheritance as God’s sons and daughters. We are learning that we do not have to be passive and just allow things to develop without having any influence on the outcome. When we are praying the will of God, we can have confidence that He hears us and responds to our petitions.

Did you know that the darker it is, the more you can see that which has been illuminated? I live in the country, so when the skies are clear, the stars are absolutely magnificent! City lights do not detract from the glorious display before my eyes. I recognize different constellations and then recall that God Himself put every one of these stars, planets and galaxies in place. They declare the Glory of God. He has called them each by name and every star has a different frequency or sound unique to itself! Amazing.

As I stated last week, when Jesus arrived on the scene, Rome had occupied the area of Palestine and most of the Jews were under heavy oppression, especially the financial burden of paying large amounts of taxes which the Jewish elite (tax collectors and religious leaders) benefited from. They were looking for a leader, a messiah, who would deliver them from this oppression. But Jesus came the first time as the Lamb of God to pay for the sins of the whole world. He called Himself the Light of the world and His spotless life radiated into the darkness of the world He was born into. But, not only did the darkness not comprehend who He was they actually resisted and then finally extinguished (murdered) the light. They were expecting a military leader who would overthrow Rome and establish the Kingdom with His military might.

Jesus is coming back as the Lion of Judah and He will overthrow the kingdom of darkness when the time is right. But right now we are in a time of preparation and training so that we, as believers, can rule and reign with Him. Right now we are to let our light shine in our own sphere of influence. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, we are to reflect the true light in our own lives.

As 2020 comes to an end, many are hoping for a brighter 2021. Let your light, the light of the Son reflected in your life shine brightly in this dark world. Choose to make a difference in your own neighborhood and place of employment as well as your own home. If enough of us begin to do that, our city will reflect that light and we will be a part of the solution. Our city will be affected by the light and the darkness will have to flee!