When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the Moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? (Psalm 8:3-4)

The Moon

Located 238,900 miles away, the Moon is the solitary satellite revolving around the Earth every 29.5 days. The Moon has a diameter of about one-quarter that of its parent planet. It lacks any significant atmosphere, hydrosphere, or magnetic field and consists of an uninhabitable rock surface. Created on the fourth day, God placed the Moon in the night sky to rule the darkness. The greatest influence of the Moon is the gravitational pull on the tides worldwide. God placed the Moon in orbit around the Earth precisely and perfectly, which has continued non-stop since the fourth day of creation. Adam and Eve were the first to see the beauty of the Moon in the night sky. The phases of the Moon have guided the people of Earth from the beginning. Throughout history, the Moon has been worshipped and revered.

On a clear night when the Moon is shining brightest, the Earth is filled with the radiance of the Moon’s glow. This is a misnomer because the Moon cannot create light. The Moon’s only purpose in shining in the darkness is the reflection of its larger parent, the Sun. God ordained the Sun to rule the day and the Moon to guide the night. The only light given off by the Moon is what is reflected from the glowing of the Sun. Nothing is redeeming in the Moon’s character that allows it to shine of itself. Every ounce of light glowing from the Moon is a reflection. Examining the character of the Moon shows it to be nothing more than a piece of rock floating in space. Nothing can grow on its surface. It influences the Earth, but that is because of its proximity to Earth and the magnetic pull. All the light of the Moon originates from the Sun. The beauty of a moonlit night is because of the light of the Sun.

There is a lesson about the child of God found in the story of the Moon. Men are created in the image of the divine for the glory of God. There is nothing inherently good in the nature of man, and he can only find his true worth when he realizes the only glory he can share is the glory of the reflected Son of God. The Moon has a purpose, but it has no light. A child of God has a purpose, but they can only fulfill the purpose designed by God when they reflect the light of Jesus Christ in their lives. That light will vary from time to time. The closer one comes to Christ, the brighter the light. A diming Moon suggests a further distance from the Sun. When the influence of a man lessens in the eyes of the world, it is because they have distanced themselves from the glory of Jesus.

Few things in life are more fulfilling than waking to an early dawn to see the soft reflective light of the Moon hanging gently in the sky. On a night when the Moon is full, it is a glorious time of contrast as the darkness is thrown away for the glory of the Moon. There are few things in life more complete than when the Christians let their light shine among men so they can see the glory of God. The darker the night, the brighter the reflection. Everything about the life of a Christian is the amount of reflection of Jesus Christ. Let your light shine among men so they may see your good works and glorify God.