The Humility In the Face of the Eclipse

A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw...See the day of the Lord is coming...For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light. 11I will punish the world for its evil,  the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. 12I will make people scarcer than pure gold,  more rare than the gold of Ophir. 13Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;  and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty,  in the day of his burning anger. (Isaiah 13)

Thoughts: Isaiah and Amos lived at the same time and likely spoke of the same eclipse (6/15/763 BC) in different ways.  The Babylonians were fascinated with the heavens and the stars.  Isaiah was saying that God would black out the sun and stars so that the Babylonians would know the Lord is God.  God was going to humble the haughty and proud- the star gazers who believed they were in control.  God makes the heavens tremble and the earth shake.  The stars and the great brightness of the sun should cause us to humble ourselves, not think we are in control.  We should ask (Psalm 8) when I consider the heavens the work of your fingers, the moon and stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?  Yet the God who made the mighty stars not only made us, in His great knowledge He knows us and more than any computer or google search engine- He loves us.  The stars teach us His majesty but if you look deeper you see that we can appreciate them and praise God for them...in humility. 

Prayer: Lord, you made all I see and have given me the ability to see and appreciate the beauty of the stars, sun, and moon.  Thank you for their light which you gave them that enables me to see beauty and light.  

(Patagonia Eclipse 7/11/2010)

God Speaks through Light

7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. (Job 9:7)

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. (Genesis 1:1-5)

14And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.  

(Genesis 1:14-18)

Thoughts: God's Word is powerful.  He says, "Let there be light and there was light."  it is not a wave of his hand or wand that does it.  It is not as the Mesopotamian and Hindu thinking where the earth, moon, and sun are made of the body of a goddess.  It is not that God gave birth to the sun and moon.  Instead He speaks.  Luther said the organ of faith is the ear.  We could say this is poetry.  in a certain sense it is.  But let us not downplay the ability of God to speak and even the sun listens!
    Now do not expect to hear a voice speaking to the sun to eclipse 8/21.  But that does not mean that God is not telling the sun not to shine- or that He did not set this in order a long time ago.
      The amazing thing is that the solar eclipse across America was set in motion at the Big Bang (Creation).  The moon is moon 238,900 miles from Earth and the larger sun is 92.96 million miles away.  The sun is 400 times further away than the moon, but the sun is 400 times bigger.  This allows the moon to cover up the sun perfectly.  The moon is actually moving away from the earth and much later total eclipses won't be possible.  It is fairly rare now but impossible later. 

• Before 2017, the last two total solar eclipses visible from South Carolina were on 1970 Mar 07 and 1900 May 28.
• After 2017, the next two total solar eclipses visible from South Carolina will be on 2052 Mar 30 and 2078 May 11.

The heavens declare the glory of God Psalm 19:1 says.  The heavens speak back to God what He speaks.  We reflect or glorify His powerful words.

Prayer: Lord, you speak and the heavens listen.  Give me grace to listen to your voice and follow you- as the sun and moon follow the paths you have set for them.

Here is a video of the last total eclipse in North American- 4 years ago in Cabo Mexico. 

Eclipse Devotion- Blindness at Midday

28The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. 29At midday you will grope about like a blind person in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you. (Deuteronomy 28:28-29)

Thoughts: Perhaps this is the first hint at an eclipse in the Bible.  It is in the context of what happens when we do not obey the Lord. 
It is a reminder that it is not good to be blind at midday.  We take for granted we can see in day or night because we can just turn on the light.  But in the ancient world (and still in the world with little electricity or ability to buy batteries) in the dark you were indeed blind and groping about like someone mad or confused.  The point here is that if we disobey God we will be blind to our hope and cannot see our purpose and direction.  We will be like a person who is lost.  An eclipse at midday is a reminder of spiritual eclipse.  We should not let anything get in the way or block our view of God's light in our lives.  

Prayer: Lord, there are many who would stand in the place that would keep me from seeing your light.  Help me to follow your light.  Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Ps. 119:107).  

Eye in the Sky Eclipse Picture taken 8-21-17 from Lake Murray Presbyterian

Joy in the Tough Times

17Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,

18yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to tread on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Thoughts: We do not follow God simply because everything is going well. In fact, it is in the tough times that we often experience his help and learn to trust and rely on Him.  It is in the valley of the shadow of death that we learn His rod and staff comforts us.  Habakkuk was facing the effects of an army coming through and destroying the country.  He decided he would praise God even if things were desperate.  It is a little bit like the marriage vows- for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.  Habakkuk affirms that God gives Him strength and Habakkuk believes God will save him out of this mess.  Joy does not depend on circumstances, but on our anchor standing firm.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to be faithful to you in the good and bad times. Let me remember you are God even in the worst of circumstances.  

Stopping Worry with Trust

5“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^e ?

28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6)

Thoughts: When you are worried about making it, this is a great passage to read.  Jesus is not listening to all the reasons we may give to worry.  Instead, he goes back to who we are as creatures of God under His sovereign love.  If God cares for the flowers and the birds, will He not also care for us?  Those who believe and trust in God need not worry.  The pagans live for the stuff they get and they never have enough.  Worry adds nothing to life, but the stress of worry takes away much from life.  Instead of worry, pray and trust.  Believe that God will help and provide for you and you can live a more peaceful and confident life.  

Prayer: Help me to grow in trust and diminish in worry.  May I trust in you, the Almighty Father and caring Lord.  

God Does not Forsake Us

25I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

26They are always generous and lend freely;

their children will be a blessing. Psalm 37:25-26)

Thoughts: This is not a hard and fast rule with no exceptions.  But it is a general observable principle.  The righteous in general are blessed.  The righteous are industrious and will try.  So it is a principle to claim before God.  We may pray, "Lord let me not be forsaken, and keep my children from being beggars.  Help me to be generous to others."
     Tonight we had a prayer service for those who were laid off in the nuclear construction project in Fairfield County, SC.  After the service the local methodist minister and I were talking.
      He mentioned that he had paid his first taxes as a pastor and was $600 short.  He didn't tell a soul but prayed.  Someone who was not a member came to his door and said that God told him to give him a check for... $600!  Just what he needed.
       Similarly, my wife and I paid our first tax bill after seminary and we didn't have any food or money for groceries.  We didn't want to tell anyone- but cried out to God.   We received a knock on our door from a former member who brought us a huge packet of steaks.  We couldn't even afford the potatoes or salad to go with them.
     God provides for us.  In tough times, this is important to remember.  Trust in God.  Seek to be a generous person, believing God will be generous to you.  

Prayer: Lord, provide for those who call out to you for mercy and help.  

Hope in the Face of Job Loss

19I remember my affliction and my wandering,

the bitterness and the gall.

20I well remember them,

and my soul is downcast within me.

21Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

22Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

23They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

24I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him.”

25The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him;

26it is good to wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord.

27It is good for a man to bear the yoke

while he is young.     (Lamentations 3) 

Thoughts: Jeremiah was devastated.  Not only had people lost their jobs and were in danger of starving, but they had seen their families killed and their city destroyed in war.   He had known it was coming- and had publicly predicted it- like many who knew that a layoff was coming.
    Jeremiah remembered his affliction and homelessness, his broken dreams and burst expectations and his very soul was downcast and sad. When we look at our circumstances, life can be hard.  We might try to compare ourselves to someone else (like Jeremiah), but what if you were the last guy?  Comparisons may ease pain but not ultimately.
     But there was really one thing that gave Jeremiah hope. God still loves.  He has never ending compassion.  His mercy and compassion are new every day. 

      Out response to desolation and sadness is to wait, trust, and hope in God.  God will be our help.  

Prayer: Lord, be with the 7,000 who lost their jobs in South Carolina this week. Grant them grace, hope, peace, and strength.  Let them know your care and see them through.