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Jennifer Hayes Yates

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Shine Like the Stars

February 26, 2020 By Jennifer H. Yates 1 Comment

26 Feb
Shine Like the Stars

A couple years ago, I joined my friends in their backyard to view the heavens through their telescope.  I put my eye to a lens and gazed at a star millions of miles away from me. I witnessed the glow of a fire that burns 140,000 times hotter than our sun. I viewed photons, or particles of light, that began traveling to my eyes 642 years ago (Betelgeuse, for those of you who are wondering).

It was an incredible display of the majesty of God!

I was reminded of this verse:

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life–in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.”

Philippians 2:14-16, NIV 84

We are called to shine like the stars, not complaining and arguing, but holding out the Word of life to others. This passage comes in the context of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in which he was reminding them to imitate the humility of Jesus.

He said we should be one in spirit and purpose, do nothing out of selfish ambition, and consider others better than ourselves (Ephesians 2:1-4).

Unity, humility, respect–those qualities are supposed to characterize us as Christ followers–not complaining, arguing, and gossiping.

Jesus, likewise, said that we should shine.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14-16

He doesn’t want us to hide our faith but to shine brightly for all the world to see. Our light should be dispelling the darkness around us and pointing others to the Father.

Something else rocked my world that same weekend. I finished a book called The Insanity of God. If you haven’t read this book, you need to. It’s the true story of a man and his family who dedicated fifteen years of their lives to minister to the people of Somalia, only to return home disillusioned about the realities of sharing Jesus in a war-torn, dangerous, and mostly-Muslim environment.

So, the Ripkens decided to travel to nations where Christianity has grown in the midst of severe persecution in order to interview those who live out the Gospel in a dangerous climate every day. What they found in the stories of hundreds of saints in places like Russia, China, and the Middle East, was a faith that brought light to some of the darkest places on the planet.

From prison cells, men and women sang. Where there was no Bible, youth memorized the entire Gospels. There were no worship wars: believers gathered together, mouthing the words of praise songs so that they might not be overheard and arrested. No worries about church running past noon: many of these believers gathered from midnight to 3 A.M. to avoid detection by authorities.

And yet they were shining.

These believers could have kept the truth to themselves and avoided persecution. But, no, they held out the word of life–shining like stars in the universe. They traveled many miles to meet together with other believers. And God performed miracles, signs, and wonders in their midst.

I read of another star in my Bible: a Hebrew woman named Hadassah but given the Persian name Esther, which means “star.” She, too, could have kept quiet and not risked her life. But she knew that the lives of others were at stake. And so this “Star” laid it all on the line. She, too, held out the word of life, and declared, “If I perish, I perish.”

Sometimes I won’t even share the Gospel in the grocery store, in the Bible Belt, in a nation in which I could possibly be ridiculed, but that’s about it. Our brothers and sisters around the world would be appalled. In China, a Christian is not even considered for leadership until he has been to prison. Not Food Lion. Prison.

I want to shine like a star, like an Esther, like these men and women who so courageously share the Gospel with their friends and neighbors. I want to stop playing it safe and give it all for Jesus. I want to be so red-hot, on fire for the Lord, that when I start shining, I burn for all eternity.

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”

Daniel 12:3

Pray for the persecuted church, that they would be faithful unto death. (That’s what they pray.)

And pray for the courage to shine like a star in the universe, holding out the Word of life to those around you. Don’t get caught up in the complaining, arguing, and gossip that so often characterize the church. It’s just not worth the damage it does to the cause of Christ.

Instead, let’s commit to put our faith in action, to choose unity over strife, humility over spiritual pride, love over petty comparisons. Let’s stop focusing on what we don’t like and turn our eyes to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.

And let’s commit to shining our light for Jesus, holding out the Word of life to those around us who are in darkness. We may not perish for sharing the Gospel here in our corner of the world, but those around us will perish if we don’t.

Need help keeping your focus on what really matters? Get my FREE guide, 5 Ways to Focus during Bible Study.

For more in our series, Faith in Action, click here.

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Filed Under: Missions, Spiritual Growth, Worship Tagged With: Bible study, blessings, Christian, Christian devotional, faith, Faith in Action, God's Word, Jennifer H Yates, one thing, quiet time, religion vs. relationship, seeking God, Shine, spiritual battle, witness for God, worship

« Perfectionism or Excellence?
Do You Fear the Call of God? »

About Jennifer H Yates

About Jennifer H Yates

Hey, friends! I'm Jen--wife, mama, and empty-nester. I love to write, read, and drink coffee, especially with friends.

I've found that many women struggle to find time and focus to grow their relationship with God through studying His Word. I encourage and challenge women with practical strategies and helpful resources for quality study in as little as fifteen minutes a day.

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"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel--the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:1-4, NIV).
All of Scripture, all of history, all of time has been about Jesus Christ, Son of God. 
Do you know Him? You can. His life, death, and resurrection are historical fact. All so that you could know Him and have eternal life.
Jesus loves you! ❤

"The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee fo
"The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment" (Luke 23:55-56).
Can you imagine the horror these women had witnessed? Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others had followed Jesus and helped support his ministry (Luke 8:3).
Now all their hopes had been crushed as they stood at a distance and witnessed Jesus' agonizing death on the cross (Luke 23:49). His own mother had to stand by helplessly as her son cried out, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46).
As we women often do, they looked for a way to still serve Him, even in His death, by preparing His body for burial. Sometimes, it's the little things.
When our hearts are breaking and we think we can't take another breath, sometimes we need something in our hands--a burial spice, a casserole, a text that says I'm here.
We can't make the hurt go away, but we can channel it into something useful, something hopeful, something comforting.
As they rested on the Sabbath, I'm sure they anticipated the opportunity to see Him one more time, to minister to Him once more with the spices and perfumes they had prepared.
Hearts crushed, hands open.
Grieved but grateful. Resting but ready.
Because if there was anything they knew for sure, it's that Jesus was no ordinary man. And when hearts are turned toward Him, anything can happen.

God never called us to “blind” faith. We may b
God never called us to “blind” faith. We may believe without seeing, but faith is being sure and certain of what we don’t see, not what we don’t know. ⁠
The Israelites had historical facts on which to base their faith. That’s why God constantly told them to remember what He had done and tell it to their children. Their faith was in what they knew to be true, even though they didn’t always see it with their own eyes. ⁠
We, too, have facts on which to base our faith. The Bible is historically accurate and verified. If ever we needed to know what we believe, it’s now.⁠
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Click link in bio to read post.⁠
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#prayerwarrior #bedeeplyrooted #prayerispowerful #praywithoutceasing #christianpost #christianblogger #womenintheword #livewithintention #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #growingyourfaith #womenoftheworld #intheword #lampandlight #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus

It’s something I have a hard time doing. Like mo
It’s something I have a hard time doing. Like most women, when I do get still, my mind is still going 90 mph. I’m so distracted by all the preparations for the day. Sounds a little like Martha, who, by the way, is the one who invited Jesus over in the first place. But like Martha, I have felt the Lord’s gentle rebuke. He wants me at His feet. And really, that’s where I want to be. It’s not about time and focus. It’s about heart and desire. The rest will come. ❤️ #growingyourfaith #jesusfirst #wordbeforeworld #seekhimfirst #javawithjesus #womenintheword

Do you really want to grow your faith? What we fee
Do you really want to grow your faith? What we feed the most is what grows the most. 🍽️⁠
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What are you feeding?⁠
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Click the link in my bio to read this week's post.⁠
#prayerwarrior #bedeeplyrooted #prayerispowerful #praywithoutceasing #christianpost #christianblogger #womenintheword #livewithintention #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #growingyourfaith #womenoftheworld #intheword #lampandlight #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus ⁠

Learning so much at the She Writes for Him virtual
Learning so much at the She Writes for Him virtual writers’ conference and getting inspired to help more women grow their faith! #shewritesforhim2021


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