Arise and Shine

Anybody in the mood for a sunset lunch?

I don’t mean to depress you but, during the month of November, the United States loses two to three minutes of daylight each and every day. Perhaps the longer periods of darkness make us more appreciative of the wonder of the nighttime skies. Within the last week, several friends have captured absolutely spectacular photographs of the Northern Lights – visible from places I never imagined.

The tenth of May of this year was one of the most amazing displays of the Aurora Borealis experienced in the last 500 years. You may remember that the “Northern” Lights reached latitudes as far south as Florida and Puerto Rico. My family and I have seen them from Alaska. They’re nothing less than stirringly glorious!

As we look up, you and I should take the time to marvel: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world …” (Psalm 19:1-4).

As the nights get longer and colder, I find God’s glory in Creation warmly comforting. In fact, we need darkness to see the Northern Lights. The sky dazzles with wavy columns of green, red, blue, and purple. The magnificent rays of light move and sway and lunge like dancers on a Broadway stage. It’s breathtaking to see the colors burst brightly – and then dim as if on cue.

Northern Lights don’t just happen. They’re caused by violent solar storms – literally, explosions on the sun’s surface. The storms release massive gas bubbles, and – when the bubbles pop – energized particles careen toward Earth. Thankfully, our planet’s magnetic fields protect us from the solar winds of heat and light that travel through space. But some particles stubbornly penetrate the shield and invade our atmosphere through the North and South Poles. When these energized particles bump into our atmosphere, they produce the gorgeous hues. If they hit oxygen, they shine green and red. If nitrogen – much rarer – they shine blue and purple.

When it comes to seasons of light and darkness, our God is the great choreographer. As He writes the story of our lives, and of all of human history, He transforms even the storms into unmatched beauty. The question is: Will we trust Him?

Friends, the world is full of storms – storms of all shapes and sizes. Some we bring on ourselves. Some are well beyond our control. Some stem from life on a fallen planet – a world marked by sin and rebellion against God’s goodness. Some storms come by way of demonic activity. Some are so dark that they expose the forces of evil. But no storm is beyond God’s sovereign control.

You may be in a fierce storm right now. Maybe you’re fighting the battle of your life. I want to remind you that storms make the sky grow dark, but the darkness is not the end of the story. God is our Light in the darkness! The apparent gloom which hovers like an unwelcome guest can be beauty in disguise when God is accomplishing His purposes in  and through our storms, and our Lord never ceases to turn the most difficult chapters of our lives into markers of His ineradicable grace.

God doesn’t always lift the storm when we want Him to. Sometimes we have to hunker down and go right through the storm. In those moments, or perhaps even seasons, God gives us persevering grace. Grace to sense His bright smile even through the blinding rain of our tears. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). 

What we must do in the darkness is trust the Author of Light and Life. Just like when we want to behold the glory of the Northern Nights, we must lift our eyes! Eyes lifted humbly to God also lift our expectations … and enlarge our hope … and shore up our resolve … and strengthen our faith. This is true even when God doesn’t send immediate deliverance – even when we have to wait on Him.

 
Nobody particularly enjoys waiting on God. But, while we wait, we can find light in God’s Word. When we feel lost, especially, Christ can meet us right there in His Word and totally transform our perspective on the storm or the situation. Remember: His Word is “a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

And, while we wait, you and I can worship! We can declare with conviction God’s unmatched goodness and faithfulness. We can sing the praises of Christ, even from the pit of despair. Anywhere and anytime, we can worship our risen Lord – even while it still seems dark – because we can trust Him.

We. Can. Trust. Him.

I realize that storms can hit us one after another. Maybe you’re there right now. If that’s you, friend, I offer you two words: Don’t quit! In the penetrating words of our Dutch sister and Holocaust survivor, Corrie ten Boom (1892 – 1983): “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”

You and I must never lose sight of God’s grander vision. His vision is for us to flourish in Jesus, even when it’s dark. Our Lord has given us year-round marching orders: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light …” (Isaiah 60:1-3).

Eyes on Christ!

Pastor Charles