Our Morning Star
(by Bob Pulliam)
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Getting up at three-o-clock in the morning to drive a truck across Southeast Arizona wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. But it wasn't the getting up that I needed to be concerned about. As the light from my headlights showed me the way, I felt quite comfortable pulling two tons behind my fully loaded truck. But several hours down the pitch black interstate, found me losing sight of what lay before me. No, I wasn't dosing, but my headlights seemed to be. As they flashed off and on before me, I noticed the bright morning star up ahead, and thought about the comfort it has given countless peoples through the ages as they longed for the dawn of a new day. I counted myself in that number, wishing for a reliable source of light to substitute for my flickering headlights.
In our age of easy light, we take for granted the herald of the glorious sun. The morning star (or day star) rises in the east to announce the coming of the sun. In a time when many dangers lurked at night, the morning star was a great comfort, and assurance.
Jesus spoke of Himself as the "Bright and Morning Star" in Revelation 22:16. And truly, our only hope of a brighter, secure day rests in Him. True safety and bliss will be realized in the eternal day of our Father's presence beyond the grave. Jesus is the herald of that great day, having revealed to us the Father (Jn 1:18; 8:19). He is the only means of our realizing that bright day (Acts 4:12). Life, while at times being spoken of as day (e.g. Jn 9:4), can also be described as night, where we long for the dawning of eternity.
At times, the dangers of this night can be frightening. At other times, the darkness would seem to cloak our dark desires and allow us freedom to sin. The things of this world, upon which we would rely (riches, friends, power, etc...), are all flickering lights that cannot last. When the dawn of eternity arrives, these will pass away. But at all times, there is the "Bright and Morning Star", heralding a coming day. That day will be reserved for those who have prepared themselves for the dawn by fixing their eyes on that Morning Star (Heb 12:1). And that day will endure for all eternity.
Needless to say, my headlights held out, and I made it safely. But I still found relief in the light of day, when I could turn off those flickering headlights, and relax with confidence that I could now see my way.
What flickering hope do you rely upon in this life? What may have drawn your attention away from the Morning Star, and attracted you away from the hope of eternity? Your only choices: eternal night, and eternal day... Which would you prefer?
Getting up at three-o-clock in the morning to drive a truck across Southeast Arizona wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. But it wasn't the getting up that I needed to be concerned about. As the light from my headlights showed me the way, I felt quite comfortable pulling two tons behind my fully loaded truck. But several hours down the pitch black interstate, found me losing sight of what lay before me. No, I wasn't dosing, but my headlights seemed to be. As they flashed off and on before me, I noticed the bright morning star up ahead, and thought about the comfort it has given countless peoples through the ages as they longed for the dawn of a new day. I counted myself in that number, wishing for a reliable source of light to substitute for my flickering headlights.
In our age of easy light, we take for granted the herald of the glorious sun. The morning star (or day star) rises in the east to announce the coming of the sun. In a time when many dangers lurked at night, the morning star was a great comfort, and assurance.
Jesus spoke of Himself as the "Bright and Morning Star" in Revelation 22:16. And truly, our only hope of a brighter, secure day rests in Him. True safety and bliss will be realized in the eternal day of our Father's presence beyond the grave. Jesus is the herald of that great day, having revealed to us the Father (Jn 1:18; 8:19). He is the only means of our realizing that bright day (Acts 4:12). Life, while at times being spoken of as day (e.g. Jn 9:4), can also be described as night, where we long for the dawning of eternity.
At times, the dangers of this night can be frightening. At other times, the darkness would seem to cloak our dark desires and allow us freedom to sin. The things of this world, upon which we would rely (riches, friends, power, etc...), are all flickering lights that cannot last. When the dawn of eternity arrives, these will pass away. But at all times, there is the "Bright and Morning Star", heralding a coming day. That day will be reserved for those who have prepared themselves for the dawn by fixing their eyes on that Morning Star (Heb 12:1). And that day will endure for all eternity.
Needless to say, my headlights held out, and I made it safely. But I still found relief in the light of day, when I could turn off those flickering headlights, and relax with confidence that I could now see my way.
What flickering hope do you rely upon in this life? What may have drawn your attention away from the Morning Star, and attracted you away from the hope of eternity? Your only choices: eternal night, and eternal day... Which would you prefer?