Sweet Essence

The evening of the meteor shower I woke up my children at 2:00 A.M. to watch the stars.  At this moment in time we were witnessing something that speaks millions to many, to the believer and non believer alike.  Quoting the great poet King David in Psalm 19, 

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.  

No doubt,  like many people around the world, we were searching for shooting stars. We were spread about looking and straining for just a glimpse of one.  We live in the suburbs, always showered by the haze of the city.  As we lay waiting for the glimpse our eyes become adjusted to the darkness.   While we lay their searching the skies, there are several different moods going on among us; exhaustion, amusement, and just the aw of it all.  Then within a moment it all changed as a bright light drove past and our neighbors beam of light shined upon us.  The sudden shock of  being thrust into the  light was hard to adjust to.  At the moment we were just wanting the lights to leave so the pain might stop.    Sometimes these moments catch us unaware physically and spiritually speaking.  We catch ourselves in the darkness of sin, and when we are brought into the light of  the word  of God it hurts.    That's why David says to the Lord , Your staff and rod comfort me.  We know physically if someone hit you with a rod  the blow would hurt but if it directs you to a safer path you would be as David thankful to be awakened.  Christianity as a whole is dimming it's lights more which allows people to be comfortable in their darkness, allowing them to think they see when they are actually blind.  I could put it no more plainly then this: we are to be those bright, bright painful lights in the world.  As Jesus perfectly says in Matthew 5:14,16
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
A glimpse into the heart of smalltown