We only see from an angle
A few years ago, I woke up in the early hours of one morning having fallen asleep in my swivel chair too tired to go to the bedroom – a new habit I really needed to un-form.
After chiding myself that morning, I decided to go to bed to catch one last hour of sleep, or at least stretch out my muscles.
As I lay in bed that morning at around 5am, I noticed there was a full moon and a lone star within my view and they were just so beautiful to look at. Hence, I kept staring at the sky and the Lord began to speak to me.
I remembered a song we used to sing in my former church when I was a lot younger and I felt God was saying to me: ” You are a star of the Most High God, and you will rise and shine like the morning star…” In that moment, I imagined the moon to be God and the star to be me.
As I continued staring at the sky, it seemed to me like the moon was not a perfectly round shape. The Lord explained that life is not always perfect but mostly it is all about angles and perceptions.
Life is not always perfect but mostly it is all about angles and perceptions.
Stella Onogoro
Isaiah 55:8 – 9 KJV: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are you ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
We may feel God does not do what we want all the time and that He fails us or falls short of our expectations, but He is a God of faithfulness without injustice. Regardless of what we see or face or how we perceive Him, He is a perfect God and does right ALL the time.
Deuteronomy 32:4 NLT – “…He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright He is!
The Light shines brighter in the Darkness
The more I looked at the moon, the brighter it shone. The Lord said to me “Keep your gaze on Jesus, and He will not only light the darkness and make you see better, but His power will be manifest (visible) “.
2 Corinthians 12:9 – “…for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the POWER OF CHRIST may REST upon me.” [emphasis mine]
I saw that the moon actually shone very brightly in the darkness. “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it…John 1:5 WEB.”
This made me see that the more difficult things are, or the worse things become, the more God is able to show himself mighty. We also experience greater victory and restoration after great challenges.
Keep Looking to God
After a while, the moon got blurry (probably a result of my astigmatism). Regarding the blurry moon the Lord said to me. “Be patient and keep looking”.
Romans 12:12 – “…patient in tribulation;…”
But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Mathew 24:13
When you get overwhelmed by life’s trials and/or your view of God is distorted, wipe your tears, look again and keep looking to God. Refocus. Recalculate. Rethink.
Psalms 34:5 NKJV – “They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.”
Follow your instruction manual
All the time I had been gazing at the sky there had been airplanes flying by. At a point, I could not help but ask “What about the airplanes Lord?” He said to me, “The airplanes are fine so long as they follow their instruction manuals. They can even run on autopilot and the pilot doesn’t even have to do a thing even in the darkest night.”
Follow the Bible, your manual for living. Proverbs 4:20 NLT – “My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words.” The planes have an autopilot which means you can automatically know how to live, what to do, how to cope, how to respond… so long as you are familiar with, and have embraced and imbibed the truth in, your manual.
Your life would be so much easier to navigate if you followed your life manual – the Bible. “Thy WORD is a LAMP unto my FEET, and a LIGHT unto my PATH.” Psalms 119:105 [emphasis mine]
Things are not always as they seem
As time went on the star, and later even the moon, moved from view. I had to sit up in bed and look out to see them. The Lord said to me “life is not static”. Things change and life is not always what it seems. However, God and His words and promises remains the same.
Matthew 24:35 – Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Just as you are who you are and your position does not actually change – you are victorious, seated with Christ far above principalities and powers – God is always present.
He is a very present help (Psalms 46:1).
Sometimes, we may not feel God’s presence, not because He is not there, but perhaps because of some overwhelming challenges. At times like these, we have to stretch out and look for Him through scriptures. We can also get a glimpse of His track record from testimonies we hear and see and read, and also from lessons in our day to day circumstances.
Psalms 63:1 NLT – “…I earnestly search for You…in this parched and weary land where there is no water.”
God can be anything we need Him to be
Later on, the moon seemed to change shape. At some point, it seemed to be a very oblong shape and twice its size, and eventually I thought it looked like a 90% pizza.
God can be anything you want him to be – Healer, Counsellor, Friend, Lawyer, Defender, Provider, Confidant, Father… He is the only person who can be anything and anyone we want Him to be. He is everything.
Psalms 68:5 NLT “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows…”
God is always present – both on bright days and on dark nights.
As the day broke, the moon did not shine as much. God’s light seems to shine better in the darkness but the truth is He shines all the time. He is our everlasting Light (Isaiah 60:19 – 20).
We probably feel the need for God more when we are in trouble, or when it gets too dark, or when we simply lose our way. However, we must always remember God is always there for us.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…” Isaiah 43:2 NKJV
“…In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 KJV.
After the day fully broke, I could not see the moon and star anymore – the earth probably just moved away. We may not see God or His hand or feel His presence mostly because we move away and become distracted by the cares of life. Sometimes we probably do not sense God’s presence because things are going so well for us that we do not feel the need for him and then forget about Him because we relegate Him to the background. However, we must always remember that God is always with us.
“…I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 KJV.
We are also light in a dark world
I noticed that the star did not change much. It only (seemingly) moved as did the moon. Regardless of what life throws us, we are what God says we are.
The star did not seem to illuminate the sky as much as the moon but it is still a great source of light. In fact, I hear a star is many times bigger than the moon.
We are the light of the world with a great capacity to light up our world and the darkness in and around it. As children of light (1 Thessalonians 5: 5), we are to shine on people and have a positive impact on them.
We should not let the storms of life cloud our judgement of who we are, what we can do for others and how we can enrich their lives. We need to light their way and make a positive impact in our generation.
Matthew 5: 4 NKJV – “You are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Philippians 2:15 – “…children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”
He shines on in the dark moments, as do I
Later on that day, I got some really unpleasant and distressing news, and three days later, I got even more disturbing and devastating news. Then I understood why the Lord had taken the time to speak to me beforehand…
My “day” has not fully dawned, nor have the “storms” of life fully blown over, but I have been okay because the Light shines on…He shines not just when it is dark, but He lights up my life and my countenance. I too shine – brighter and brighter…
Psalms 4:6 NKJV – ‘There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us.’
Proverbs 4:18 CEB – “The way of the righteous is like morning light that gets brighter and brighter till it is full day.”
Alleluia!
A Walk on Water Moment with Stella Onogoro
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