Follow The Star

SHARON W. BETTERS

TODAY’S TREASURE

Like many of you, the fun of my little girl Christmases bubbled over into my teen years and then as a young wife and mother. But that all changed when our youngest child, Mark, and his friend Kelly died in a car accident in July, 1993.

Suddenly the glory and brilliance of Christmas magnified our pain. How could we celebrate with joy? God reminded me of Isaiah 45:2-3, the scripture I go to when I don’t know where to go:

I will give you treasures in the darkness, riches stored in secret places so that you will know I am the Lord your God, the One Who calls you by name.

This promise confronted me with a choice. There was only one treasure I wanted - our son, Mark. Since I knew Mark was not coming back, slowly, I began to see I needed to choose to open my clenched fists in order to receive the riches God planned to send my way, treasures and gifts stored in secret places, designed, not to change my circumstances, but to remind me: He is the Lord My God, so holy other, so big, and yet He calls me by name. I had to learn how to trust Him again, to believe He knew just what to send me to turn my heart toward Him.

In the middle of the darkness, Jesus, the real star of Christmas, kept inviting me to meet with Him, to tell Him how broken I was and how desperate for hope. And so along with meeting with Him every morning and journaling my pain and waiting for Him to rub the salve of His Word into my wounded heart, I also read every Christmas card, hungry for a love note from God, expecting Him to speak to me through the words on each page. One card especially gripped my soul and gave me hope, that one day I would know joy again. It was the traditional picture of a dark sky with a brilliant star, shining over the tiny manger. Under the star were the words:

The light entered the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it.

John 1:5

Those few words, God’s Words, broke the ache in my soul for a moment and gave me hope, turned my heart toward the Lord my God, and reminded me He calls me by name. He knows me in a way no one else does. He met me right where I was, promising me Jesus, the light of the world, would be victorious over the dark night of grief. The darkness of my soul could not win against the Light of the World, Jesus. Just as He used the stars to lead the wise men to Jesus, grief became a pathway to knowing Jesus in a way I had never experienced.

Jesus tells us about Himself, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. In the last few verses of the Bible, Jesus emphasizes his power over darkness when He declares, “I am the bright, morning star…” (Revelations 22:16)

Nine months out of the year, the Morning Star (actually the planet Venus) appears before sunrise in the western sky. It is like an alarm clock for the birds to begin singing, announcing new day is dawning. Something better is coming.

Even when it cannot be seen in the early morning, the Morning Star is still there. In fact, during one of the periods when it cannot be seen in the early morning, it appears as the Evening Star, depended upon by mariners as a frame of reference in the middle of the dark night. In other words, 24/7, the Morning Star is ever-present.

LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT

The brightness of the Morning Star breaks through the darkness of midnight, with just a glimmer, carrying the promise of hope and help and a new day.

And what hope is He giving us with these last few words: even when it feels as though He is not there, we can trust He hasn’t moved. The midnight darkness may have taken over, but His light will break through the darkness as the Evening Star. He is the Evening Star, in the midnights of life. And in the end of life, He is the Bright Morning Star who leads us into heaven.

Think of this friends. Jesus is the Bright Morning Star, always shining, even when we cannot see Him. He is keeping this promise… I will not in any way fail you, nor give you up, nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any way or degree leave you helpless nor forsake you nor let you down, nor relax my hold on you. Assuredly not!

Friends, don’t miss Christmas. Follow the star. Whether you are in an amazing, joyful season of life or a place of deep grief, ask the Lord to use your circumstances to drive you to Jesus, the Bright Morning Star, and discover eternal treasures in the darkness, stored in secret places. Revel in knowing our great omnipotent God calls you by name.

Click to subscribe to Daily Treasure and each day you will receive this devotional in your email inbox every day. It will include other information about free resources designed to offer help and hope as we journey life together.

PRAYER

Father, open our eyes and heart to the presence of our Bright Morning Star – Jesus! May we follow Him through the mundane and majestic, the easy and hard, all the way to heaven.

Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.

Contact Sharon with comments or questions at d ailytreasure@markinc.org.

The Bright Morning Star