Looking Back

Astronauts who traveled to the moon during NASA’s Apollo era were given an amazing opportunity: to physically travel beyond the confines of this planet, leave orbit, and see what Earth looks like from a distance.

Images brought back by the Apollo astronauts show the undeniable beauty of this third planet from the sun — a colorful gem that stands out in the blackness of space and shines like a diamond in contrast to the lackluster gray surface of the moon.

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 It can be a humbling experience to see those pictures and then take the time to consider just how much this gem provides us. In a solar system of strange, beautiful worlds, this is the world that can sustain us. This is the one that contains all of the ingredients for our survival. As awesome as those other heavenly bodies are, they cannot give us all that this diamond can.

When we take the time to look closely at what we have here with the eyes of faith, we can be assured beyond a shadow of a doubt that an omniscient Creator knew who we would be and what we would need.

We can know that an all-powerful God created us and this planet of wonders and resources. “The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it” (Psalm 89:11).

Lost and Found

But we human beings can have a tendency to get lost in the noise and chaos of this world. We can often get mixed up in our sinful nature, which wants to find the way on its own and discover the answers by its own merit. Whether we are looking high up into the farthest heavens to search for the reason of our existence or peering deep into our own minds to understand the meaning of it, we can all too frequently take on the effort ourselves rather than take it to the Lord in faith, humility, and prayer.

We can be led off-course by sin. However, though that may look desirable or even sensible to us, the spiritual picture is far less appealing and not in the least bit wise.

In its truest form, sin is bleak, blemished, and lifeless. Like the surface of the moon, it has no real color and no true life-giving qualities.

It cannot satisfy our deepest need, the one thing we need to be complete and to survive: the grace of God.

But where we get lost, Jesus, for our sake, walked right on course. Where we don’t see clearly, Jesus saw plainly. Where we strain our necks and minds too far (or too low) for answers, the complete answer was and is only (and always) found in Jesus.

Jesus led the perfect life in his Father’s sight that we could not live. Jesus died the horrible death that we should have suffered for our rebellion against God. Jesus conquered what we could never conquer on our own: the grave. It is this omniscient, powerful, and loving Jesus that rescues you and me from the consequences of ugly, cold, and damning sin.

“‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life'” (John 3:16).

Looking to God and relying on our God-given faith is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it is a sign of spiritual strength: we are relinquishing the evil that seeks to have us and instead are turning to the Creator, the Savior, and the Sustainer of our bodies and souls.

We are simply returning to the reason and purpose of the entire universe itself.

Brothers and sisters, let us not turn our backs against the Lord our God. Let us not reject him; for he, in his divine mercy and grace, did not reject us.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Look Back on God’s Love

When we look back to the love God demonstrated to us and continues to show us, the biting questions, the impenetrable mysteries, and the alluring temptations seem to loosen their hold.

The quest for answers leads instead to another mission: that of savoring and sharing the joy God has given us through Jesus.

“Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him — for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work — this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart” (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20). 

So, with gladness of heart, let us look up at the stars — but never forget to look first of all to the beautiful God who created them and us.

Let us never neglect to praise him for his great and mighty wonders!