By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
Below is an excerpt taken from Living in Truth: A Christmas Devotional
Awhile back, I was introduced to a fantastic video called The Bethlehem Star. The video tells the true story of a Christian Lawyer who was so intrigued by the bright star that he decided to carefully investigate the astrological phenomena that announced Jesus’ birth.
Eventually his research led him to a computer program that would allow him to track star patterns and their course across the sky all the way back to the time of Jesus. I won’t spoil the surprise ending in case you want to watch it yourself, but let me just say, it is mind blowing!
In Genesis, chapter one, God tells us that the heavenly lights would serve as signs to mark sacred times, days, and years (Genesis 1:14).
For thousands of years, mankind studied the heavens for this very reason. But somewhere along the way believers stopped looking up to the heavens. We were told it was dangerous.
Why?
I have a theory as to why we are now warned to ignore the positioning of the heavenly lights. The enemy doesn’t want us to know the truth about God’s power, glory, and goodness. He doesn’t want us to know how God’s got it all under control and we don’t need to worry. By instilling fear and skepticism surrounding the signs in the heavens, the enemy is able to keep us in the dark and so deceive us all the more.
Let’s face it; when we think something is foolish or dangerous, we throw it out. The enemy is very good at cloaking the truth and planting lies so that even the “elect” are deceived.
But thankfully, God has given us truth through His Word, truth that is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
Let’s take a quick look at the difference between Astronomy and Astrology. According to the Internet:
- Astronomy is a science that studies everything outside the earth’s atmosphere, such as planets, stars, asteroids, and galaxies, including the properties and relationships of those celestial bodies.
- Astrology, on the other hand, is the belief that the positioning of the stars and planets affect the way events occur on earth.
Now let me be clear. I do not believe in astrological charts that “fortune-tell” individual’s lives based on zodiac signs. That’s divination.
I do believe, however, that God has instructed us from the very beginning to look to the heavens and watch for signs and wonders that would coincide with particular biblical events… events like the Bethlehem star.
Why do you think the wise men went to such great lengths to follow the star? It’s because they understood the significance of what was happening. The wise men spent their whole lives studying the stars and scriptures. They were convinced that what they saw in the heavens correlated with the prophecy in scripture. So much so, that they put their faith into action and set-out on a several hundred mile expedition. A faith journey that likely took months to complete, especially if they were traveling at night in order to follow the star.
Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “Don’t throw out the baby out with the bath water.” I have tried to implement this mantra into my faith journey. No one person or faith-denomination has all the answers. Different people have different pieces of the puzzle. Our job is to see which pieces of the puzzle fit together and line up with God’s Word.
Yes, some astrology is foolish and we should stay away from it. But not all astrology is bad. God has given us the gift of His Holy Spirit. He has given us wisdom and discernment to know the truth and follow the stars.
God is speaking to us through the heavens. The questions is are we listening?
“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
(Psalm 19:1-4).
“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (1 Timothy 3:12-17).
Looking for a way to connect with God daily? CLICK HERE to check out our new daily devotional: Living in Truth Mind, Body, Spirit.
