“The Faithful witness in the skies”
Did you see the moon last night?! It was so beautiful once again. And the sky was perfectly clear where we live in Arkansas. You've seen it so many times before and you never tire of it. It so reminds us of God's Presence and God's faithfulness when you see a lovely moon in the skies. I'll never forget the time I went to a Christmas program at the mission in Carmel, California. Minnie had taught school that day and was tired and wanted to stay home so I went by myself, which was quite unusual since she was almost always with me. It was the night of a full moon and the skies were clear and crisp as a winter night can be. It was so lovely I decided to drive by Carmel beach and watch the moon in the ocean as the white caps washed gently on the beach and the sand was so white in the moonlight! It was absolutely breath-taking and I immediately wished that Minnie was there to see it, as she had before. I parked my car and just stayed there a long while watching and praising God that He gives us such beauty regularly and faithfully.
Then I thought about the scripture that calls the moon “God's faithful witness in the sky.” Psalm 89:37 The moon reminds us of God's faithfulness and His goodness and His Presence and His love of beauty which He created because He is the source of beauty. It reminds us of God's promise that “while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22
Then I thought about how the moon reflects the glory and power of the sun but has no light within itself, but can only reflect (or tell of) the light of the sun. In the same way Jesus calls us, His disciples, “salt and light.” The light is not our own; we have none. The light we are to reflect is Jesus' Light who truly is “the Light of the World.” “I am the light of the world,” Jesus said, “he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
And I thought of the many friends God has given Minnie and me throughout the world and I wondered if you saw the moon last night or was it cloudy and blocked from sight? Did you thank God for it and for its beauty and its faithful reminders of God's creativity and love? Did it remind you of the glory that is yet to come? “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Rev. 21:23
When you read this, click on Reply from Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mexico, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, that beautiful pleasant land of Washington, California which I still love in spite of it all (my native state), Arkansas, that lovely state of Colorado, and even the great state of Texas from where God gave me my greatest gift, my wife—and two of our children. Did you see the moon last night? Did you thank God for what you saw? It kinda ties us together, doesn't it, giving us a similar experience.
Love, Pastor Burnside
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