“…(then) shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.”  (Matthew 24:29)

I couldn’t ignore the mysterious moon any longer.  The whole time I was lounging in front of the television, the moon was peeking through the trees and the clouds and smiling into my living room.  I had to go outside and really look at it. 

The air was crisp, and the night sounds were only the quiet rustling leaves and a car passing in the distance.  The moon had started to rise above the tree line and push its way through the clouds.  The moon’s light painted the clouds edges silver and made the dew on the ground beneath glisten like diamonds.  The stars were twinkling through in scattered spaces between the clouds.  A star shot across the sky.  The sight was breathtaking.  I stayed in my backyard until the moon had won its battle with the clouds and shone bold and bright in the sky. 

As I went back inside, the thought came to me, “In the last days, when Christ raptures His church, the moon will go dark and the stars will fall from the sky.  There will be no more beautiful wonders in the sky.  There will be fear and trembling.” 

The thought made me really think about the marvelous world the Lord has blessed us with.  Everywhere we look, we see miracles.  The sun shining brightly in the sky, a huge ball of fire and gas, is a miracle.  The great oceans that crash against our shores and sustain the millions of marine-life, are miracles.  The grass that springs up from the ground, the rains that water the grass, the trees that tower over the land are miracles.  The birds of the air, the animals that roam the plains, the small, furry creatures that hide in our own backyard, are miracles.  How often do we really look at these miracles and praise God for all that He has blessed us with?

The thought also made me really think about what will be left behind when the Lord raptures His church.  The Book of Revelation tells us that during the time of tribulation, the sun will become black, the moon will turn to blood, the stars will fall from the sky.  A third of the trees and the grass will be burnt, a third of the oceans will be turned to blood, a third of the animals and marine life will die.  Many of the rivers and lakes will be turned to poison.  The many beauties around us will not remain (in addition to the judgment and death that will also be on the earth).  Can you imagine the world without the sun, the moon or the stars – a world without oceans, trees, or grass?  When thinking of these things, I know I do not want to be one of those people left behind.  It also makes me ask myself, have I made every effort to reach my friends, neighbors, and loved ones for the Lord, so that they aren’t left behind?

I have always loved the many miracles of creation, and the wonders in the night sky are near the top of the list.  I know that many times when the moon peeks into my living room, it is the Lord’s way of asking me, “Are you paying attention?  I love you and want to show you in the world I have painted and molded around you.”  When the moon smiles into your living room, smile back, and offer God praises for the miracle of His creation, His greatness and the love He offers you.