SUPER MOON

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Psalms 8:3 “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained”   

A "supermoon" is a full moon phase that coincides with the moons closest point to earth (perigee) --something that happens about once a year, on average. During this event, the full moon can appear about 15 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than the other full moons of the year. 

What is so special about that? A super moon occurs fairly frequently. And when you consider it further, the moon itself is just a big, dull, gray, lifeless rock monotonously orbiting our planet. The moon does not actually produce any light of its own. It is not doing anything special. It is just hanging out there in orbit rotating on a simple, non-extravagant course around our planet. But when you stop to consider… (that is the problem, we don’t stop and consider), that is the beauty of it. And what is even more beautiful is how the moon can speak to us as children of God.

REFLECTING THE LIGHT

​Having no real beauty or light of its own, this ugly dull rock is made splendid simply by reflecting the light of the sun. Psalms 149 tells us that God will “beautify the humble with salvation.” How ugly our lives can be until beautified in God’s salvation. In the small book Devotions for Outdoor Adventures, the authors write, “As Christians, our light is very much like the moonlight. The moon has no light source of its own. It can only reflect the light of the sun. We also cannot emit light on our own. We must reflect the light of the Son.” (1) Without the sun, the moon is dark. How about me? Am I reflecting the light of the Son in a dark world or dwelling in darkness ourselves? 

​Ephesians 5:8 “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”

GOD ORDAINED POSITION

​The other incredible thing to consider about the moon, which may not seem so incredible at first glance, is its orbit around the earth. For days before the Super Moon, different news outlets advertised the occurrence. How did they know this full moon would coincide with its perigee? Because the moon is always where it is supposed to be, when it is supposed to be there!

​The moon does not deviate from its God-ordained orbit. What a lesson for us self-willed, self-directed people! Stop and consider as the Psalmist did: Am I, like the moon in its orbit, right where God wants me to be, when He wants me to be there? Am I consistently navigating in the will of God that He has ordained for my life? 

A flock of Common Grackle Blackbirds stage and fly in front of a summer crescent moon at sunset in July in Athens, Georgia, Clarke County, USA. Two exposure merge. July 16, 2018.

hiding the light

A Super Moon occurs about once a year and can be observed from almost anywhere. I have photographed the Super Moon right in my backyard. But there are times that a Super Moon cannot be observed; something can be blocking our view of the spectacle. An overcast sky can block our view; haze and pollution may obscure the sight; light pollution can take away the clarity and brightness of the Super Moon’s splendor; or more simply, we don’t know or don’t care. 

​The moon is super, not for any effort of its own, but simply because it is reflecting the sun in the right place at the right time. By doing so, the moon can give light to those walking in the dark of night. Is the business of life blocking our view of the Son? Are haziness and false doctrine obscuring the clarity of Christ? Are the attractants of this world outshining or stealing His splendor? Or is it we simply just don’t care to look? ​​

the tides of life

Bright sunrise reflecting off low tide waves, sun rays and blue sky on Hilton Head Island beach, South Carolina. Photo Taken On: August 27th, 2011

We are also aware of the moon's gravitational effect on the tides. While both the sun and the moon influence the ocean tides, the moon plays the biggest role because it is so much closer to our planet than the sun. In fact, the tidal effect of the Moon on Earth is more than twice as strong as that of the Sun. (2)

Jesus called us to be the light of the world and influence our generation. Just by reflecting the Son and doing the simple will of God right where we are, we too can influence the tides of society. ​We may often be unaware of the huge influence our lives are having upon others.

​So, what is so super about my life? Nothing, except that I am reflecting the light and glory of the Son! Let's ask ourselves: are we shining forth the light to those in darkness? Do we reflect the brightness, clarity and pure light of Christ, or are we a dull, gray, dead rock wandering without direction and purpose? ​​

(1) Devotions for Outdoor Adventures, Larry Wiggins, Jack Harris and Amy Garascia. 
(2) timeanddate.com, ​https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/tides.html ​