Reflecting the Son

Note: part of the spiritual application in this devotional I originally found from the devotional "Hiking with Jesus", by Jim Feldbush.

Almost four weeks ago I had the most awesome experience! I had learned a few days previous that there was going to be a total lunar eclipse on December 21, 2010. I had never seen a total lunar eclipse before, or a lunar eclipse, or any eclipse for that matter in real life, so I was really excited! Who cared that I had to get up early the next morning for a neurology appointment?? I was going to watch this eclipse!

I had gone to bed rather on the later side that night (of Dec. 20), but I set my alarm for 1:15 am to give me plenty of time to reach the computer and turn everything on in time. Where we lived it turned out to be cloudy, however, whatever our weather, I did not want to brave the cold and go outside. People may call me lazy, but I was simply going to turn on the computer and watch the eclipse online--with my heater right next to me!

A NASA website had said that the eclipse would start at 1:33am ET. So in plenty of time I found the website, but then it said the NASA camera was not working! Or at least it didn't come through for me. Fortunately, there was a list of links of other webcams that were broadcasting the event. I found one that was working and watched it.

Well 1:33am came and went and though I was able to see the moon online, no immediate, vast change could I see with only my naked eye and the webcam. So after a while I went back to bed and slept in till 2:28 am, a few minutes before the start of the actual eclipse. When I arrived at the computer again, the moon had changed some color, but still no abrupt or immediate change like I was hoping for. (Later I realized I was confusing solar and lunar eclipses.)

Then I went back to bed until mid-eclipse. At 3:17am, I was watching the moon, a moon that had turned tan.
While not everything I had hoped for, I still had grand fun watching the total lunar eclipse and seeing what it is. (I also enjoyed legally tramping through the house in the middle of the night! ;D)

I've been thinking about this lunar eclipse and just in general what the moon does. The moon has no special light of its own, yet we see the light it showers upon our earth most every night. If the moon doesn't create light, where does it get its light from? The moon gets its light from the sun. The sun is the light creator, that shines its light on the moon, and the moon will shine its light onto us.

That got me thinking some more. We can be like the Moon too! We do not produce our own light, but we receive it. Where do we get this light? From the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He gives us ideas, thoughts, kind acts we can do towards others. Then we can do those things and shine our heavenly light on other people!

2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV:

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-changing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Then I've been thinking about this most recent total lunar eclipse. What exactly happened? The earth came right smack dab in the middle of the Sun and the Moon. At exactly mid-eclipse, no light from the Sun was reaching the Moon.

That thought got me thinking on some serious topics. What if I had a "total lunar eclipse" in my spiritual life?? What if the world--may it be friends, ideas, habits, etc.--get in the way of my receiving light from the Son?? Certainly this event would be a terrible tragedy, severing our connection from the One who supports and protects me. As I think about this more, I'm realizing that each and everyone of us may have more "total lunar eclipses" than we think we do. We may not even know we're having an eclipse!

Matthew 6:22, 23, NIV:

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your who body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

How do we avoid these spiritual "eclipses"? Keep a strong connection with God. Read His Word to us, the Bible. Pray to Him and tell him your thoughts, your ideas, your problems. God has never, will never initiate a "total lunar eclipse" with us. His earnest desire is for all to be saved!

Do you think you might be having a "total lunar eclipse" with God right now? That other friends, ideas, habits, or other things might be getting in the way of your connection with God and receiving His Sonlight?? Then pray to God right now and ask Him to help you see what is blocking your connection with Him, and to give you the willpower--with his strength--to overcome this problem and stop your "total lunar eclipse".God loves to stop eclipses!

Philippians 4:13, NIV:

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength."


Dear Jesus, I've realized that I'm having a "total lunar eclipse" with You. I truly do want to re-establish my connection with You. Please show me what I need to remove from my life--whatever it may be--and help me to remove those things. I know that nothing is impossible with You. Amen.