By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. 1 Corinthians 15:10
Along with spending time in prayer and meditation on the Scriptures, Jonathan Edwards regularly walked or rode his horse alone in forests and meadows, often losing himself in deep contemplation of nature's beauty. In nature he saw the higher spiritual excellencies of its Creator. Ever the student, he looked for spiritual truth and practical life lessons in his study of God's world. To remember his observations, he wrote them on pieces of paper and pinned them to his shirt. As a result, he often returned home covered with tiny papers!
As he thought about the contrast between people who had true religious affections for Christ and people who were merely moved by their emotions to claim faith in Christ, Edwards noted the difference between a meteor and a star. A meteor, making its path across the night sky, is a marvelous sight to behold-and yet it is short-lived. It quickly ignites, displays its beauty for a few moments, and burns up. A star, on the other hand, while less flashy, shines brightly and permanently night after night for all to see.
A true convert is like a star, not a meteor. "Gracious affections cause [people] to be holy in all their practice. In turn, this helps them to persevere all the time. True grace is not inactive," says Edwards. With the light of Christ in our hearts, we will always shine brightly.
"Christ, whose glory fills the skies, Christ, the true and only Light . . . . fill me, Radiancy divine . . . . more and more thyself display, shining to the perfect day!" Amen.
See God's love, power, presence, and purpose in your life every day!