Shining as Stars
This devotion was written and shared by Psych, our Keweenaw Base Camp Director.
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What did you want to do when you grew up? Is it the same as now? Is it what you’re currently doing?
I have always wanted to be an astronaut. There’s something about traveling out into space and being able to see our entire planet from above that fascinates and excites me. I grew up in rural Wisconsin where gazing at the night sky was a nightly occurrence and I quickly began to identify constellations. The changing of the seasons was marked by the return of Orion the Hunter and the rotation of the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia as the annual meteor showers invited me to wake up in the early morning hours for a glimpse of meteorites burning up as they attempted to enter our atmosphere.
I think part of the reason I like stars so much is because they seem so small, but in reality they are much bigger than our planet. They are also all unique and form amazing galaxies. There is one fact that unsettled me when I first learned it, but I understand now why it is truly amazing.
With the naked eye we are only able to see approximately 4,548 individual stars in the night sky on a clear night.
Now, that fact may seem ridiculous, but think about being in a city. Often you can only see a few hundred stars in a little town, and only 30-50 in a city like Milwaukee. In metropolis cities like New York City or Chicago you might not be able to see any stars! In fact, even out here we see more of the black night sky than the light of stars!
Stars take up a small amount of space, but they stand out the most.
When I was in high school I realized that my dreams of being an astronaut were not as realistic as I originally thought they were. I had people asking me what I wanted to do with my life and where I planned to go to college and what kind of job I wanted to have in the future. Those dreams got crushed a little more every time I realized I was a small town Wisconsin girl who had a dream to be among the stars. It was like a supernova of choices with no clear direction.
It was during this chaotic time period that our youth group studied a passage from the book of Philippians. In my Bible, the passage was titled Shining as Stars.
Philippians 2:12-18
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life-in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Let’s focus in on a couple of these verses:
Philippians 2:14-16
Do everything without complaining or arguing
We struggle to do this. If something goes wrong, or more accurately, not the way we want it to go, we often get upset. God wants us to go about our lives with joy and thanksgiving. I’ll admit, I complain & argue. Take an honest second to reflect on this.
So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation
Blameless and pure are not words we earn—we are considered blameless and pure only because of what God has done for us in giving His son Jesus to be blameless and pure sacrifice and die even though He was perfect. Because of His gift we can be considered children of God WITHOUT fault. We’re forgiven. And what stands out to me is the phrase, “in a crooked and depraved generation”. Think about it: There is a lot of sin in our world. There are a lot of people who don’t believe in God. There is a lot of darkness in our world. It is like a Black Hole that keeps sucking us in.
In which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life
You shine like stars in the universe. Why? Because you hold out the word of life. With Jesus in your hearts and on your lips you are all lights in a dark world. You show everyone you interact with the light of the world. You are a star blazing bright in the night sky-shining for all to see! And it is not one star that floods the night sky with light, but the collection of stars that work together to make the sky a twinkling force. Would you marvel at a single star in the sky? No, it is the collective sight that delights.
In order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing
This verse answers the big questions of: Why shine like a star? Why stand out in a dark world where blending in is easier? Why show everyone the light of the world? The answer is simple and an analogy that Paul uses often: run the race to get the prize. We are all zooming through the night sky straining toward that final destination: Heaven. We press on, going forward toward the goal. But we know that the prize is won. It’s not the gravity of unending sorrow that we deserve, but a glorious display of the cosmos in Heaven as we see our King and Savior on that magnificent day!
Press on. Shine on. Keep going in confidence that God is with you, He is working through you, you are HIS. Do this without complaining that you may show everyone Christ. Press on to shine God’s light to all in this world-that they may come out of the darkness and become a star. Keep running the race of faith, knowing that Christ has won on the cross and His light will be eternal.
I realize now that I may not be an astronaut, but I get to do something far more life changing than that no matter what my profession is: I can proclaim Christ. Our lives are more eternal than the number of stars in the sky because of His victory. We press on to shine forth to others the light of Christ so that they too, may see God’s glory.