Wednesday, June 11, 2008
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You have to stay up late sometimes to see those rare total eclipses of the moon. But if you haven't, try it sometime if you have that opportunity again in your lifetime. The last time I saw one it was really amazing. It seems like most of those disappearing moon things happen when I'm in sleepy land - but this one was at prime time. You can see why these eclipses freaked out primitive peoples - that moon, that great white light of the night, suddenly starts to disappear. That big old harvest moon darkened little by little, until finally there appeared to be no more moon. Fortunately, in the crowd I was in nobody panicked - there were lots of educated folks. We all knew what was really happening. The moon has no light of its own, of course, it's just light reflected from the sun. When something comes between the moon and its light source, something like a little tennis ball called earth, the moon just goes dark.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Personal Eclipse."
Maybe that word eclipse could describe the season you're going through right now - it feels like the light has gone out, things aren't working, answers aren't coming, emotionally it's feeling dark right now. Why have things gone into an eclipse? It could be for the same reason the moon goes dark.
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 32:1-5, David says, "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." He talks about being blessed by God - that's the light that comes from the sun of your life. But David goes on to talk about his personal eclipse, and maybe yours. He says, "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away, through my groaning all day long. For day and night, Your hand was heavy upon me." Have you ever felt like God's hand was heavy upon you? Then he says, "My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." He's depleted, worn out, and he's weak. Sound familiar?
Well, David couldn't figure out why he was having physical difficulty, spiritual heaviness and stress, weariness, he just knew that the light that had been there before seemed to have gone out. And then he figured what caused the eclipse, "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the guilt of my sin.'" In the verses that follow, you can tell that the eclipse is over. He talks about "songs of deliverance" the Lord's unfailing love surrounding him, he says, "rejoice in the Lord and be glad." The light is back!
The reason for the eclipse is something between you and the Light. Something is blocking His blessing on you right now. And David nailed it; he said, "It's my sin." You may have looked everywhere else for an explanation of this dark time, but the light won't return until you quit covering up that sinful attitude, action, relationship, or habit, and you bring it to Jesus' cross in personal repentance.
It didn't stay dark that night of the eclipse. No, the light came back as soon as the obstruction was removed. The light of God, which you desperately need in your life right now, could start to return to you this very day if you'll deal honestly and repentantly with the sin that is keeping the light from getting through. For you, the eclipse may finally be over.