http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/MorningStar.html
A new day is dawning!
Nights can be long!
Pain or grief can cause the night to drag on and on, hour after
hour. In the darkness one waits, longing for the morning light.
Sunlight is important, but light from God is even more important.
The Psalmist says: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in
His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who
watch for the morning - Yes, more than those who watch for the
morning” (Psalm 130:5, 6).
The morning star gives hope to those who long for a new day.
The morning star is actually the planet Venus, the brightest
celestial body in the sky, after the sun and moon. When you see
the morning star, you know the night is almost over!
Jesus is our morning star!
“I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and
Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16). Jesus is harbinger of a new day!
He gives hope for a better future.
Balaam called the promised Messiah a rising star: “I see Him,
but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of
Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17).
Christ has come to enlighten us. “Then Jesus spoke to them
again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall
not walk in darkness, but have the light of life'” (John 8:12).
God “has delivered us from the power of darkness and
conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians
1:13).
Followers of Christ do not walk in darkness. When we follow
Him by heeding the Scriptures, the morning star rises in our hearts.
“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well
to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns
and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).
When we see the morning star in the sky it gives us hope for a
new day. But when the morning star has risen in our hearts, we
always see the Morning Star!
Our hope is based on the mercy of God.
When the morning star has risen in our hearts, our hope is
based on the sacrifice of Christ and the grace of God.
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all
men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we
should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great
God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He
might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His
own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14).
When the morning star has risen in our hearts, we have good
hope even in the midst of difficulties! “Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace
in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not
only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation
produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and
character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of
God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was
given to us” (Romans 5:1-5).
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy
Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
Jesus gives the morning star to those who persevere!
If we endure to the end, Christ will give us the morning star!
“He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will
give power over the nations ... and I will give him the morning star”
(Revelation 2:26, 28).
What have we learned?
Christ is the Morning Star who gives hope to those who long
for a new day. He gives us hope for something better than the
darkness of this world. If we follow Him, He rescues us from the
power of darkness. When we obey the Scriptures, the morning star
rises in our hearts. By the grace of God, this gives us hope of
eternal live. If we endure, Christ will give us the morning star.
Amen.
Roy Davison
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982,
Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)