The Moon's Light

On the fourth day of creation, my true love gave to me the sun, moon, and stars. The sun to rule the day the moon to rule the night.  

It is amazing to be outside during the day and see the sun lighting up the sky, creating shadows, causing flowers to grow.  Even when the day is completely overcast, the sun is still able to peak through creating light. Even on the darkest days, light is still shines.  

Have you ever been outside at night when the moon seems to be right in your backyard?  The color a brilliant orange.  But as the moon gets higher in the sky, it gets smaller and the light whiter?  A beautiful sight.  I enjoy observing the moon. 

The moon goes through different phases.  This is caused by the rotation and position of the moon in the sky.  we have the New, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent.  This pattern continues throughout the month, 29 and a half days.  One of my favorite ways to teach the phases or the moon is through oreos.  Take an oreo apart and each one will lose a certain amount of icing. Then of course, you eat all the oreos when you are done! Only at times of a full moon is the whole moon lit up.  The moon only shines where it has collected light from the sun.  The moon does not reflect its own light.  It can only give what it has been given.  So when there is a new moon, the moon has not collected any light from the sun, so it has none to give.  

When you go out at night, look up at the sky.  If there is light coming from the moon, know that it absorbed it from the reflection of the sun and is now reflecting it back to you.  

The moon also affects the tides.  There are high tides and low tides.  The gravitational pull of the moon generates tidal force. Wherever the moon is, the water and the earth bulge toward the moon.  This creates a high tide. The low tide is on the opposite side of the earth where the bulge and gravitational pull are not present.  

The moon is very interesting and fun to learn about.  Phases, tides, light, oh my.  The lessons are out of this world!

But there are lessons we can learn about the moon that apply to us as well.  First, we can only reflect the light we are given.  Meaning, we can only share the knowledge we have gained.  Sometimes we learn this knowledge through other people and sometimes we learn it through personal experience.  But we are not able to share knowledge if we never gained that knowledge.  There is a lot of knowledge in this world.  But I believe the most important knowledge is knowledge of Jesus.  Paul even said, "For I am determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2.  Am I saying book knowledge, street knowledge, common sense are not important?  NO, not at all.  I don't even think Paul was saying that.  But Jesus is the most important knowledge to have.  It is life changing knowledge.  If we don't read the Bible, if we don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, the other knowledge means nothing.  I can solve any math problem in my head, but if I don't know Jesus, that knowledge is worthless.  I can have every important date in history memorized, but if I don't know Jesus, who cares.  And I can't share the knowledge of the Gospel if I don't have the knowledge of the Gospel.  I can only reflect the knowledge I have been given.

There are times in our life where we know more.  We are in a better place.  We go through phases.  Sometimes we have so much light to share while others, we find it hard to have any light.  But God is so good!  He works with us where we are.  He gives us understanding when we ask for it.  "The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding, and I shall live."  Psalm 119:144. "Let my cry come near before there, O Lord; give me understanding according to thy word." Psalm 119:169. He will give us understanding if we ask of Him.  Shine the light you have in the phase of life you are in and God will bless that knowledge.  If you don't like a phase you are in, you can change it. 

The last lesson, do you want to draw people closer to you by drawing them closer to God?  Or are you pushing them away?  Are you turning people away from  the Light? Or are you pulling them closer.  God can use you to draw all people unto God.  John 12:32 says, "And I, when I am lifted up from teh earth, will draw all people to myself." We must lift Jesus up, not ourselves.  But we must be approachable.  We don't want to turn others away with our pride, arrogance, self-righteous spirit.  We want them to see Jesus. We shine His light.  Not our own.

Think of the moon.  It is nothing without the sun.  We are nothing without the SON of God.  Share His light.  This is possible only By God's Amazing Grace.