19th August
(The Lord) took him outside and said, "look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." Genesis 15, 5
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. Philippians 2, 14 & 15
The stars' function
In the moral night of this world God has also placed Christians, one here, one there, to shine in a depraved generation.
A star is a heavenly object and is the character of today's believers: they are part of God's heavenly people (1 Corinthians 15, 40 - 48). With this title they invite men to look up to remember that there is a God who is wise, mighty and infinite like the space of the universe, a God from whom they have their breath and to whom they will have to give account to one day.
The star is a guide for the lost traveller at night: it serves him as a compass. Let us think of those which led the wise men to the child Jesus. Let us be reference marks for those who are "lost" in the world, by showing them the good direction which will lead them to the Saviour.
Through it's position in the sky, the star also serves as a clock and calender. It shows the moment of the year, and the time at night. Our responsibility is to remind men of today's generation that in the spiritual way: "Night is nearly over, the day of the Lord is almost here" (Romans 13, 12).