Giving Birth

 

 

I dreamed that I have just given birth to a baby girl. I feel fine, not tired or sore as would be normal after labor and delivery, as if someone else did all the work.

I haven’t seen her yet, but the nurses assure me that she is beautiful and perfect, and they show me pictures. One is a photo of a beautiful young woman, with soft, blonde wavy hair framing her face like a halo, wearing light makeup that looks very natural and enhances her symmetrical features. The other is a pencil sketch, with a map or diagram across her forehead showing different facets of her personality and where they reside in her brain.

I’m surprised by the pictures, as she appears full grown rather than newborn, and I long to see her right away. My husband and son are in the room and I call out to them, “Let’s go see her – everybody wash your hands!”

But the nurses say they are still working on her, and she’s not ready for us to see her yet.

When I awoke from the dream, it was with a sense of longing to see this new creation that was part of me. I realized that the girl in the dream represented the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) that I am in Christ, now that I am born again (John 3:3-8) by trusting in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way (John 14:6) to Heaven.

The Bible speaks of the newly saved Christian as a babe in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1), first needing the spiritual nourishment of the sincere milk of the Word (Hebrews 5:13; 1 Peter 2:2), or its simple yet perfect truths of salvation through faith by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Just as we do not and cannot work for our salvation, for all our own righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), I experienced no labor in the dream, and hence no fatigue, for Jesus Christ Himself accomplished all the work (Isaiah 64:6) needed for my spiritual rebirth. He paid the price in full for my sin debt through His shed blood on the cross (Romans 3:25).

At the moment we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we are not only born again (John 3:3-8), but justified through His righteousness, which is credited to our account (Romans 4:25; Romans 5:16-18). When God the Father looks at us from that moment on, He no longer sees our sins, but only the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. All our sins are debited to His account, and His perfect standing and inheritance of eternal life in Heaven are credited to our account (Romans 8:17).

This is known as positional justification. Were we to die moments after being saved, we would immediately go to Heaven, like the thief who accepted Christ in his dying moments on the cross, even though there was no time for him to be baptized, attend church, read Scripture, or do any good works in the Name of Jesus (Luke 23:42-43).

A newborn is not expected to remain in the nursery for long, but to grow and mature into an adult, each with their own personality, attributes, and responsibilities. After we are born again, we are to mature in our Christian walk, being fed with more challenging portions of “meat” from God’s Word (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12) and becoming more like Christ each day (1 Corinthians 1:30).

This process of progressive sanctification was symbolized in my dream by the “newborn” pictures actually resembling a young adult, with a beautiful face and “brain map” indicating a complex personality, both of which God Himself fashioned since before the beginning of time (Psalm 139:14-16).

In the dream, I shared my desire to see this new creation with my family and wanted them to see her too, but I also wanted us all to wash our hands first, symbolizing the spiritual cleansing that takes place through the washing of the water of God’s Word (Ephesians 5:26).

Sadly, we were not yet allowed to see her, reflecting that the ultimate expression of God’s new creation in each believer will be our glorified body that He gives us at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:42-58). At that time, we will experience eternal glorification. We will know Him and one another perfectly, as we ourselves are now known by Him. We will live forever in our glorified body that will never age, sin, die, or experience illness, sorrow, or pain.

But in the meantime, full understanding of Jesus Christ, of Heaven and of what we will be like eternally eludes our grasp, for we still see as through a glass, darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12).

In Bible times when the apostle Paul penned these words, glass was not clear, flat and free of impurities as window glass is today, but was cloudy, wavy and distorted. You might be able to tell that someone was passing by your window, but you wouldn’t be able to recognize or describe them. Such is our present view of the glories of Heaven that await us, and of our eternal companions, the saints in light!

The dream reminded me of how I long for the Rapture, for Christ to come again, and for my aging body to be transformed into a glorified body, to live forever with Him and my loved ones in Him in the abundant joy and perfect peace of Heaven. But no man knows the day or hour when that will occur (Mark 13:32), and we can rest assured that God’s timing is always perfect.

Meanwhile, once we are born again, may we continue in our Christian walk to become more like the Lord Jesus Christ until that glorious day when we see Him face to face!

© 2022 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the arch

Ending or Beginning?

 

Photo by Tulumnes 2013

New Year’s Eve and its celebrations are a great reminder that any ending always leads to a new beginning. During the countdown of the last moments of 2025, we thanked God for His blessings, provision and protection throughout the year, and also for His giving us a fresh start in 2026. As His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), we can begin every morning and every year with renewed hope that He will continue the good work He began in us (Philippians 1:6).

The cycle of beginning and ending permeates our lives. The sun sets on one day and rises again the next (Matthew 5:45). We may end our term in high school and begin college. We may leave one job or ministry and begin another, ideally in response to God’s direction rather than in rebellion against it. As Clive Staples Lewis, British author of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” wrote, “There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

God created many wonderful examples of how an apparent ending leads to a new beginning. A plant dies and goes to seed, but the apparently lifeless seed germinates and gives rise to a new plant (1 Corinthians 15:36-38). A lowly, earthbound caterpillar encases itself in a chrysalis and secretes enzymes that completely liquefy itself. Yet from that biochemical soup a butterfly forms, eventually struggling to break free from its shroud and emerge in a brilliant burst of color and flight. A baby ends its nine months of silence in the darkness and security of the womb with a triumphant (or outraged?) cry heralding its physical birth (John 16:21).

Even the musical scale ends on the same note with which the next octave begins. Christ Himself is the Beginning and the Ending, the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last (Revelation 1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13). He is the self-existent great I AM Who existed in eternity past since before time began (John 8:58), and Who will live and reign throughout eternity future as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16).

His death on the cross to pay for our sins (Romans 3:25) was the essential ending to His earthly life so that He could rise again, becoming the firstborn with a glorified body (Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23), so that all who trust Him will also live forever (John 3:16). The destruction of most life on earth with the great flood in Noah’s day led to a cleansed, renewed planet populated by the remnant of faithful Noah and his family, and by the creatures God commanded him to bring into the ark (Genesis 7-10).

One day, after the Great Tribulation and Battle of Armageddon in which Jesus Christ will defeat the enemies of Israel, Satan, sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:24-28), the heavens and earth will burn up with a fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10), giving way to the new heavens and new earth (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13) where Jesus Christ will reign forever in the Heavenly City (Revelation 21:1-5; Hebrews 11:16; 12:22).

What are the endings we must face on our way to the New Jerusalem? The first is that we must come to the end of ourselves. Only when we realize that we are sinners, doomed to hell, with no merit or power of our own to save us (Romans 3:23), can we realize that we need a Savior, turn to Him for forgiveness, repent of our sins, and ask Him to save us and enter our heart as Lord of our new life (1 John 1:9; Revelation 3:20; Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 4:6).

Then we are born again, beginning a new life in the family of God (John 3:5-8). No longer are we His enemies and children of the devil, for now we are God’s children (1 John 3:10), joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), part of His body the church (Colossians 1:18,24), betrothed to our Bridegroom (Isaiah 61:10), and ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and co-laborers with Him in the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 3:9). Our first step of obedience should be believer’s baptism, or water immersion, symbolizing our identification with His death, burial and resurrection (Matthew 28:19).

Like the unsaved, born-again believers experience physical death, unless they are still alive when Christ returns for his children. Nothing on this earth seems like a more final ending than death, but for the child of God, it is the beginning of new life with Jesus Christ and fellow believers. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). We will experience that joy forever, for we received the gift of eternal life the moment we were saved by faith (John 3:16).

Even those who are living when Christ returns will experience the end of life in their physical body. But what a glorious new beginning! At the Rapture, our aging, frail, limited earthly bodies will be instantly transformed into glorified bodies like that of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:35-38). Sin, death, pain, sorrow, illness and aging shall be no more! In their place is eternal, abundant life (John 10:10) in a body without physical limitation, and with the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), for we shall know Him as He now knows us (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Then we shall live forever in a mansion He has uniquely designed for each of us (John 14:1-3), in the Heavenly City so resplendent that it defies physical description (Revelation 21:10-27). We shall have infinite time to enjoy Him and our loved ones in Him, the beauty of our surroundings, the fulfillment of worshiping Him in complete surrender using the talents and gifts He gave us, and the purpose and productivity of meaningful work uniquely suited to our abilities and personality.

So let us not fear or regret any earthly ending, but instead let us joyously anticipate the next beginning He has planned for us, and ultimately the blessed, living hope of the Rapture and eternal life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!   

Copyright 2026 Laurie Collett  

Three, Two, One! Happy New Year!

 

Photo by Shamli071 2011

 This New Year’s Eve, many will be gathered in person, or around their screens, to watch the ball drop in Times Square or elsewhere as the host counts down “Three! Two! One!” coordinated with the stroke of midnight, fireworks lighting up the sky, and the plummeting ball designating the start of 2026, a brand new year!

It is a blessing that God gives us “reset buttons” like these – the start of a new year, month, or day; the anniversary of our birth, marriage, or second birth (John 3:3-8) when we got saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). These fresh starts remind us of His mercies, which are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), and His forgiveness of our sins, if we sincerely ask Him to forgive (1 John 1:9).

But 3-2-1 can also signify the start of a race, with three counts until the starter’s pistol. Just as the crouched sprinter leaps into action, may we be ready to charge forth and run with determination and patience the race God has set before us (1 Corinthians 9:24; Hebrews 12:1), once He gives the clear signal.

Or consider a momentous event, like a space launch. Years of preparation, design, planning, and expense culminating in a single burst of power, opening new frontiers for exploration and discovery. When we hear that countdown to blastoff, we realize that in that instant, the world is propelled to new horizons. Similarly, the urging we hear as the Holy Spirit moves in our hearts may mean that our years of faithful service are about to open a new door as He invites us to cross the threshold into a new field of ministry (Galatians 4:6).

Celebrities giving interviews or performing on television or radio are also informed of minutes, then seconds, then 3-2-1 before the broadcast goes live. They may have already been there for hours in wardrobe and makeup, which may seem to them like “hurry up and wait.” But they must wait for their cue to begin their message if they wish to reach viewers and listeners around the world.

Timing is key on air and in life, and we must remember to wait on the Lord (Psalm 27:14; 33:20; 37:7-9; 34), and His perfect timing, before we speak or act on His behalf. With the Lord, one day may seem as a thousand years, or vice versa (2 Peter 3:8), but that is beyond our understanding (Job 42:3; Psalm 139:6). All we need to do is to be instant in season, out of season (2 Timothy 4:2), and to respond to and obey His call when He gives clear direction.

Sometimes it seems that the passing of time slows to glacial speed – like when we’re at the dentist, and he cheerfully announces that the humongous needle he’s holding will enter our jaw on the backward count of three. Yet other times, particularly when we’re caught up in something we’re passionate about, time races along at breakneck speed. Except for the very young, we’ve all experienced how each passing year seems to race by more quickly the older we get.

Perhaps that’s because we become more aware that a life is but a vapor, vanishing before our eyes like the breath escaping our nose on a wintry day (James 4:14). One day our life on earth will end (Hebrews 9:27), and it is unlikely that we will know that only seconds remain.

Lately I find myself longing for time to advance to the point when time will be no more – when God’s children shall without warning or countdown hear the trumpet call (Matthew 24:31). In a twinkling of an eye – faster than we could imagine – we shall be transformed into our glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:52) and be transported to Heaven, where we shall forever be with the Lord and our loved ones in Him!

Could 2026 be the year of the Rapture? No man knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36; 25:13), but all the signs are in place. We know for certain that Christ will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 17:14; 19:16), and that the Rapture is one day closer today than it was yesterday. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

© 2022 Laurie Collett

Edited and reposted from the archives

We Shall Be As He Is!

 

Photo by John Trainor 2013

Have you ever seen people fold dollar bills or bills of higher denomination so that the President’s portrait or the landmark building on the reverse side metamorphoses into a mushroom or some other image? It’s just a cheap parlor trick, but it does remind us of the truth that what we see may be a distortion of what truly is.

I recently had a dream like that. In the dream, I was viewing photographs of myself from college years and beyond. A software program displayed the images on my computer screen, at first chronologically and one by one, then in kaleidoscopic collages with the individual images rapidly changing in size, position, and juxtaposition.

The flirtatious glance of the young woman seated on the bronze tiger statue at Princeton gave way to the weary, sleep-deprived, and overworked frown of the medical intern. Then the intense, longing look of new love, and the radiant, joyful smile just before the preacher said “You may now kiss the bride.” The elated grin just after delivery, snuggling our precious infant son in my arms.

Images of my face then started to blend with those of my loved ones – my husband, our son, my parents, the Pastor who baptized us once we were saved, my maid of honor whom I led to the Lord -- and it seemed that each of these faces had left their mark on my own. Still more images -- of worry over daily struggles; celebration at holidays and birthdays; grief at funerals; anticipation as our son, now a handsome young man, strode masterfully across the stage to receive his college diploma with highest honors.

With the passing years, my face began to take on the inevitable changes due to the curse of sin, sorrow, and aging traced all the way back to the rebellion of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). “Laugh lines” that aren’t so funny, and “lines of expression,” even though I know my eyes and mouth would be much more expressive without them.

And then I saw the most amazing image of all! With deft artistry, the software rapidly sorted through all the images, selecting part of a smiling lip from one photo, a twinkle in the eye from another, a few pixels here and a few pixels there, until I saw a completely different representation of “my” countenance.

It was the beautiful face of an innocent young child, yet timeless and ageless thanks to an overlay of wisdom, completion, and maturity. It radiated love, peace and joy. It was a compilation of all my best features, feelings, and experiences, blended by the Master into a unique representation of who I would one day become in Him.

I awoke from the dream longing for the glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:40-49) He has promised each of His children – those who have been saved by faith in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). That body will never age, feel pain or sorrow, get sick or die.

When He returns for us at the Rapture, we will be instantly changed to be like Him, and we will meet Him and one another in the air, never again to leave His radiant presence (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Only then will we experience true and eternal joy (1 Peter 1:8), love (1 Corinthians 13:13), and peace (Philippians 4:7).

Each of us will be recognizable to one another, perhaps not through our appearance, but in some way through an amalgamation of our most positive and distinctive qualities and experiences, as in my dream. The resurrected Christ did not lose the nail prints in His hands and feet, nor His spear wound (John 20:27), for these were a permanent emblem of the sacrifice He so lovingly and completely made for us.

When Peter saw Moses and Elijah glorified with Christ at His transfiguration, he instantly knew who they were (Matthew 17:1-4), even though they had died more than hundreds of years before, and he would have no way of recognizing them except in the supernatural.

I believe that when we see our loved ones in Christ in Heaven, we will immediately recognize them even though they will no longer bear the scars of sickness and aging. Regardless of how young or old we are when we go home to Him, we will be youthful, vibrant, and radiant like the risen Christ.

I believe we will still show the distinctive features of our life story, experiences, and earthly relationships, yet transformed by our new purity of heart and absence of sin. We will be changed so much that God will give each of us a new name (Revelation 2:17). The end result may be a face that glows with innocence and His holiness, but that is ageless and timeless because it belongs to a soul transformed by God’s wisdom (Romans 12:2).

This dream also reminded me that God works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), texturing our countenance, our lives, and our eternal being by allowing trials as well as blessings to shape us, bringing us closer to and more like Him in faith. Like a Master Sculptor seeing Michelangelo’s David in a block of marble, God sees in each of us the potential for a unique, perfect, glorious being truly reflecting His image. He created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), and though sin has disfigured us here on earth, one day we shall be as He is! (1 John 3:2)

Slowly and deliberately He chisels our features with the suffering He allows in our life to conform us to His image (Philippians 3:10). Gently He softens the rough edges with the Godly friends, teachers, and pastors He directs to our path (Proverbs 27:17). Faithfully He lights the fire of the Holy Spirit shining through our eyes and glowing in our faces so that we can be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15), just as He is the One True Light (John 1:9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46).

Until we receive our new, timeless countenance, may we let His light illuminate our faces and see others as He sees us, each with the potential to be like Him in glory!

© 2015 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Our Old Christmas Tree

 

Photo by Richard Collett 2019

Nearly a decade ago, when we moved into our present home, we decided to decorate for Christmas with a new artificial tree, wider and taller than our previous tree, as our new living room was larger. Setting up the tree was a lengthy project for my dear husband, as he spent hours on his knees removing the individual branches from their cells in a honeycomb-style container. Then he inserted each branch in its own groove on the trunk (which itself first had to be screwed together from its component pieces).

Finally we would look at it from all angles to get it as straight as possible, which meant my husband would lie prone on the floor, the lowest branches scraping his back, while he tweaked the trunk base this way and that in response to my direction.  Then came the lighting, with a key section inevitably burned out once the whole connected string was in place, requiring weeding out the defective chain and reconnecting a new one.

This process took its toll on my husband’s back and knees, not to mention on the tree limbs, which lost needles every time the tree was assembled and disassembled. Over the years, we thought about replacing it with a fresh cut tree, but we felt that a live tree looked and functioned much better in its native environment than in our living room.

Yet each year, the once beautiful and full spruce had more bare spots, with many branch tips brown from the absence of needles. My husband finally cleared out enough space in the lanai closet to store the fully assembled tree strung with lights, so that we could just do the “Christmas tree drag” through the sliders from the lanai to the living room, which was much quicker and easier. But needles still continued to fall because of contact with the tarp covering it while being stored, and because of the many ornaments we hung each year.

We thought about getting another artificial tree, but we found it difficult to justify the expense of a new tree of similar size, fullness and quality. More importantly, so many memories in our new home were inextricably linked to this “new” tree!

Such as the first Christmas we celebrated with the lovely young woman who would soon become our son’s wife! The first Christmas dinner, a succulent Beef Wellington, prepared under the leadership of our son. 

The first Christmas we enjoyed the antics of a canine guest – our son’s and daughter-in-law’s Australian shepherd, as he “herded” the stuffed toy squirrels we gave him, dashing around and around the tree, stopping and starting on a dime, changing direction abruptly, while miraculously knocking no ornaments off the tree!

And, a few years later, a second Aussie, learning the ropes of how to behave around the tree by following the example of his older yet smaller "brother."

Every Christmas we record a short video in front of this tree, recounting the special events of that year, the most memorable gifts, and especially the many blessings for which we thank God and give Him all the glory.

So each year, including this one, we drag the old Christmas tree, always showing its age a bit more, into our living room. It looks sparse and awkward at first, like Charlie Brown’s tree but broader. But soon the bare branches disappear as we fill them with special ornaments, each telling a special story that reflects a precious part of our history.

Some collectible ornaments were given to me by my mother when I was still in college. Others commemorate my rescue dog (rescued from dog lab in medical school!), our first Christmas together, our engagement, our honeymoon in Hawaii, our first Christmas in our new home, our son’s first Christmas, his first apartment. Mementos of our many travels, for dance shows and vacations, from England, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, France, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and so many more.

Our dance ministry history can be read from this tree. Special performances we gave and competitions at the Grand Ol’ Opry, Blackpool Dance Festival, World Swing Dance Championships. And a unique ornament depicting each of the dances we choreographed, to music and themes including O Holy Night, Phantom of the Opera, Christmas Toys Come Alive, Transformed, Bring Him Home, Sun and Moon, and many others!

Our old Christmas tree also reminds me of our senior saints. They may have walked this earth for many years, seen much better times, and lost some hair and teeth along the journey, but their memories, wisdom and experiences are truly irreplaceable. As lights of the world, they shine brightly with the inner radiance of knowing Christ (Matthew 5:14).

Once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), He enables His perfect will and plan to be accomplished in our lives (Jeremiah 29:11; Philippians 1:6). Only He can transform what is broken, flawed and worn out into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) of unique beauty and purpose, for we are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10).

Our Christmas tree may be old, but when lit and decorated with the colors of the season, it still serves the purpose of praising Him and reminding ourselves and others of the miracle of Christ’s birth – Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23), God with us in the flesh! He came as a lowly Infant (Luke 2:5-7), the sinless Lamb of God (John 1:29), to suffer and die on our behalf (Romans 3:25), that all who trust Him will live forever! (John 3:16)

Only Christ can take our bare frame and adorn it with precious ornaments of Godly virtue, meek and quiet Spirit (1 Peter 3:3-5), fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), the light of His love, and testimonies of His faithfulness and provision through challenges, storms and trials (1 Samuel 7:12). 

May we cherish each of these gifts and call them to remembrance daily, praising Him for the new life He breathes into our old frame. And may we look forward to that day, which I pray and believe will be very soon, when He replaces our tired, aging bodies with glorious resurrection bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-58), and we shall be as He is!

© 2021 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Stargazing

 

The more you look, the more you see. This thought entered my mind as my husband and I sat on the balcony of our beach house getaway, gazing upward at the vast, starry sky.

As we first went outside, the sky appeared overcast, with few discernible points of light. But the longer we sat there, the more dark-adapted our eyes became. Gradually more stars appeared, and even recognizable constellations. After several minutes of our evening prayer, a meteor even streaked across the horizon, leaving a shining trail before it vanished!

If we are to fully appreciate the night sky, we must spend time in hopeful anticipation that our patience will be rewarded. It is much the same for prayer. We can rush through it, like the hastily recited grace in a restaurant, squeezed in before the server returns to take the order. Or we can wait quietly in our prayer closet, not so that we can remember and ask for every last wish cluttering our mind that day, but so that we can hear God speak (Psalm 46:10; 1 Kings 19:12).

Before we reclined in the patio chairs, our view was restricted to what was immediately before and below us. The horizon and waves were mesmerizing and soothing, yet had we not changed our perspective to the heavens above, we would have missed the main event!

I wonder how many times God wants to direct our attention upward, to remind us that our home is in Heaven once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), and that we are already seated in heavenly places in Him (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6). Yet if we stubbornly look downward or even straight ahead, how can we set our minds and hearts on things above and store up heavenly treasure (Matthew 6:19-20) that lasts forever?

The stargazing on that particular night was spectacular, with little light pollution from the quiet beachside development, and a new moon reflecting no light to Earth. Jesus Christ Himself is the Light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5), just as the sun is the physical source of light on our planet. Sunlight reflected from the moon, which has no intrinsic light source, illuminates the night sky. Similarly, we as believers are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15), reflecting His light to others.

But in certain phases of the moon, sunlight reflected from the moon is not visible from our location on Earth, and the brilliance of the stars is our only nocturnal illumination. I believe there are seasons when Christ’s glory reflects brightly from His children, to His glory, and other seasons when His light is not reflected from us, lest we be consumed by pride and wrongly assume that we shine brightly without His power. As John the Baptist said, “[Christ] must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

The heavens are filled with countless stars, most of which are brighter than earth’s sun, yet they are impossible to see during the day because light from the sun is so much closer. They are even difficult to see at night, particularly when there is a full moon or many street or porch lights.

Jesus Christ is now seated at the right hand of God the Father (Mark 16:19), in the third heaven, even further away from the second heaven where the stars reside (2 Corinthians 12:2). Yet He sent His Holy Spirit to live within the heart of every believer (2 Corinthians 1:22), so He is very near to us (Acts 17:27; James 4:8). But if we allow His light within us to be eclipsed by the false lights of the world or by our own self-glorification, we will miss His lamp to our feet and light for our path (Psalm 119:105).

Thinking I could enhance our stargazing experience, I had surprised my husband on his birthday with the gift of a telescope! My intentions were good, but after more than an hour of fiddling with knobs, lenses, screws, and viewing angles, the image we could see through the viewfinder was blurred and actually inferior to what we could see with our naked eyes!

It may have been operator error, or faulty equipment, but in any case it made me think that God often wants to communicate with us directly through His Word, and not through an overly analytical approach that may actually distance us from His message or obfuscate His truth.

Bible study and meditation on His Word are good, desirable, and commanded by God (Psalm 119; John 5:39; Acts 17:11). Often Scripturally sound commentaries, sermons, and teaching can be illuminating, yet the best commentary on the Word of God is the Word of God itself. Reading books about the Bible are no substitute for reading the Bible itself.

If we attempt to view the stars through a telescope lens, we may succeed in getting a closer glimpse of a particular star, but we may lose sight of the forest for the trees and fail to appreciate the overwhelming glory of God through the vastness of His creation. The glory of the stars is different from that of the sun and the moon, and each star differs from the others in its glory (1 Corinthians 15:41)

I am reminded of a speaker I once heard at a funeral, who gave a most erudite, detailed presentation about Joseph of Arimathaea (Mark 15:43), his history, his family history, and his provision of the tomb for Jesus. Yet he failed to preach the Gospel, to mention that the tomb is empty (John 20), and that through Jesus’ resurrection, all who trust Him have eternal life!

The starry sky is not only beautiful and awe-inspiring, but it also calls to mind God’s many promises recorded and fulfilled in His Word. He promised to make Abraham the father of a great nation with descendants as innumerable as the grains of sand in the desert, or as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5; 22:17; 26:4; etc.). He kept and is still fulfilling this promise through the birth of Isaac even when his mother Sarah had been barren and was then decades past her childbearing years (Genesis 17:17).

God not only created all the stars by His Word (Genesis 1:16; Psalm 8:3; 136:9) and arranged them into constellations (Job 9:9) but knows each of them by name (Psalm 147:4), just as He knows each of us intimately and knows our needs before we even ask Him (Matthew 6:8). Bible prophecy foretells that during the Great Tribulation, which no believer will experience, a third of the stars will fall from the sky (Revelation 8:12; 12:4; Matthew 24:29), and the stars will no longer give their light (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10; 3:15).

It has been said that looking at the star-filled sky is like hiding under the front porch as children, peering through the cracks between the floorboards, and seeing pinpoints of light among the cobwebs, dirt and rusty nails. We caught a glimpse of something better, yet we could not appreciate that on the other side of those floorboards was a stately mansion. Now we contemplate the stars but as of yet cannot imagine the glory Heaven holds (Isaiah 64:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9), including the special mansions Christ is preparing for us (John 14:1-3).

Jesus Christ Himself is the bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16) Who will come again (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), I pray soon, just when all is at its darkest. May the eyes of our understanding (Ephesians 1:18) be enlightened! Till He returns may we keep looking up (Luke 21:28), for our ultimate redemption into glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15: 42-57) draws near!

© 2020 Laurie Collett