The summer constellations have arrived and it’s reason for singing! Hi, this is Joni and listen to this old hymn…
“Who are these like stars appearing, These before God’s throne who stand?
Each a golden crown is wearing; Who are all this glorious band?
Alleluia! Hark, they sing, Praising loud their heav’nly King.”
Oh, I just love that hymn and I’ll bet it’s pretty unfamiliar to you, right? It’s that old one. Love that line: “Who like these are stars appearing?” Just the idea alone amazes me! And when it comes to the heavens? I love to stargaze – anytime there’s a clear night away from the city lights, I’m looking up! Last year when my friends Judy and Peggy gave me an iPad, my husband had a great time loading all sorts of apps – and one of them is called “Star Walk.” I’ve always had a fascination with the stars and this app is absolutely amazing. It has a GPS built into it and on any night, I can take my iPad outside, and if there’s a constellation I don’t know, Ken just holds up the iPad in the direction of that group of stars and viola! – the constellation appears on the screen with all the names of the individual stars. Anywhere we aim the iPad, it’ll show what star we’re looking at… and it’s so neat, it’s all in color, and it’s got this wonderful star music playing like the kind in a planetarium.
The other night we were outside with the iPad, pointing it at the thin slice of moon making a smile on the horizon… and there was the moon on the iPad. The night was a starry dome above me that took my breath away; there were so many summertime constellations… and the Milky Way so beautiful and big stretching out across the universe glowing… I put down the iPad and my heart just broke with joy. Stars do that to me. And so it doesn’t surprise me that Daniel 12 verse 3 is such a favorite where it says, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
Wow… to shine like the brightness of the heavens? Like a star? Now I know some people are put off by such a symbol. I mean, like C.S. Lewis said in jest, “Who wishes to become a living electric light bulb?” But wait. Have you ever stood in the night wind and looked up at a blanket of stars? Have you ever been up in the mountains and looked up, and there’s the arm of the Milky Way spread like powdered sugar across the sky? Doesn’t that just fill your heart with such wonder and delight?! You just get so open your vision brightens.
And, friend, here’s the thing. The glory of the stars that captivates you will one day be yours. The ecstasy – utter ecstasy -- that enraptures your heart at the sight of a beautiful night sky ablaze with twinkling lights... one day you will enter that same joy, you will enter into that same ecstasy. One day you will put on glory like that. Wow! So remember today Daniel chapter 12 verse 3 was written for you, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens” and one day if you lead many to righteousness you will shine like the stars.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 91376
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