The event of this week was out of this world! The event even seemed to top news of the war and the cease fire. I watched and watched some more. I have the advantage of being able to watch and not be away for a job. The event that got my attention was the lift-off of the newest vehicle to take people into space. For now, it launched 4 people on a trip into space further than no other human has ever been before. The four people were on their way to a trip around the moon and then back again. I have memories of past launches into space, some successful, some with trouble, and some with disaster. The one disaster came close to home as one of the teachers for our son had originally been one of the possible “teacher in space” people that could have been on that fateful launch that ended in such a disaster when it blew up shortly after a countdown leading to the take off and explosion.
Part of me wondered if this week’s current event would end up in a similar manner. I think I was perhaps holding my breath while watching the counting and lift-off. I can’t imagine what it must be like for the families of the crew. They have to have a whole lot of trust in the scientists and construction team that had a part in the design and making of the rocket and the capsule and the computers and so many other things involved getting to the point of lift-off! It is mind boggling to comprehend. Trust, trust, trust! Trust is equally mind-boggling when I think about what I trust God to take care of each day, hour, minute and second. And the trust isn’t just from me, millions and millions of people around the world are also trusting Him each day, hour, minute and second for the same things. And the trust isn’t in a whole large team of people. I place my trust in just one Person—God! I trust Him to keep me breathing ’cause I rarely, almost never, think about breathing. I trust Him to make sure my blood is circulating properly! I can’t do even one thing to keep the blood moving. God built that need into my body. God’s love is greater than the vast distance to the moon and back, reaching beyond the heavens to meet us in our darkest moments of despair. Like a faithful, constant companion, His love offers unwavering presence, encouraging us to Trust in a love that finds us even in the dark.
The moon is the reflected light of the sun; we are to be reflected light of the Son. The Son’s glory reflected by us is to draw others to Him. Just as the moon remains faithful in its orbit, reflecting light even when hidden, God’s presence remains steadfast through all the phases of life—the light moments and the dark. The astronauts had to trust that they would come out into light again as they entered the path around the “dark side” of the moon. They could not contact anyone if suddenly trouble arose. They were trusting in the plan, the system, and mission control. I am so glad that I have my very own Mission Control that is watching out for me. And I never disappear from His sight!
The four people who were chosen, and who had volunteered before being chosen, were sent on this trip for 10 days. They had to be together every single minute during those 10 days. No one could have some time out to escape! I see so much of not getting along everywhere every day. It seems that getting along is a rare thing. Even when a man and a woman choose each other to love for life before God and then decide later that together is no longer possible and they separate. It is so sad. The four people in the space capsule could not just walk away. They had trust in each other and put aside their differences. They were from different races, countries, genders and yet they made it work despite the differences.
As I am thinking and writing these words, it occurs to me that the astronauts are among the few people that can say in truth that they have been “to the moon and back”. That phrase is often used to represent a finite human attempt to describe the infinite affection of God for us. However, scripture reminds that God’s love surpasses even that, reaching as far as the heavens are above the earth. It is a love beyond measure! The “and back” part of the journey seems to mirror God’s promise to me to remove my transgressions from us “as far as the east is from the west”—a distance that, unlike the distance to the moon, has no end. I get total forgiveness.
A while back people celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing—July 20, 1969. What an incredible accomplishment! Astronauts traveled about 240,000 miles—one way!—in three days to actually step on the moon. It’s amazing to think about, even today! Space exploration is a blessing for our faith in Jesus. It helps us see how great our God and His love for us are. Here’s God’s promise: “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him” (Psalm 103:11). I imagine you might feel small and insignificant today. But as far away as the moon is… God’s love for you is bigger! We had a children’s book at our house in which a baby rabbit and a parent rabbit talk about their love for each other. Finally, the baby rabbit looks up at the sky and makes the biggest comparison he can possibly think of: “I love you to the moon!” Know what the daddy/mommy rabbit says? “I love you to the moon and back!” God’s love for you and me is so much greater than we can possibly imagine. Jesus loves us to His cross and back! Want help thinking about God’s love? Go outside tonight and look up at the moon and stars. “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him!”
When I was younger, I always liked the moon! But sometimes it was there and sometimes it wasn’t. Sometimes it was shaped like a cup and other times it was tipped. It was just the moon! Then came the day I was given a school science project to track the moon. I was to go outside every night for a whole month and stand at exactly the same spot at the same time every night and draw the moon as I saw it. I have never thought about the moon in the same way as I did before that assignment. I realized in amazement that there was order to how the moon moved in the sky! It was following a path through the sky that was planned out for it, each night taking it further and higher in the heavens until it reached a zenith and then descended until finally it ceased to be visible. The moon is often a beacon in the night sky. In my life journeys, I can find comfort knowing that no matter how far I wander, the journey back to God and His grace is secure, and His love is always there to light the way. The phrase “to the moon and back” describes a journey of roughly 477,710 miles, symbolizing an immense, measurable devotion. However, in a spiritual context, it serves as a powerful reminder of a love that is actually immeasurable.
The next time you see the moon, let it serve as a reminder that your worries are smaller than you think and God’s love for you is higher than you can imagine. While we humans celebrate the incredible feat of traveling to the moon, God’s Word uses the vastness of the heavens to illustrate God’s far greater reach. Just as the moon is 238,900 miles away, again Psalm 103:11-12 declares that as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His infinite love for those who fear Him.
The moon does not generate its own light; it is a reflection of the sun. Spiritually, we are called to be like “full moons” for Jesus. In a world that can often feels so dark, our purpose is to reflect the light of God’s character and love to those around us. The moon is a steadfast companion that remains present through every phase—waxing, waning, and full. It teaches that God’s presence is constant and faithful, even when His “light” in our lives feels dim or obscured by the shadows of our struggles.
Astronauts who actually made the trip often return to earth with a shifted perspective. They speak of finding God out there in space. They aren’t afraid to speak of Him and the wonders that they have witnessed. Astronaut Jim Irwin, after walking on the lunar surface, famously stated that “Jesus walking on the earth is more important than man walking on the moon”. While man has traveled around and even to the moon for exploration and discovery, the ultimate journey was when Jesus traveled from heaven to earth for the purpose of salvation, bridging a spiritual gap that no rocket could ever cross.
God Loves You to the Moon: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us”.
How high is heaven above the earth? The moon is about 238,900 miles away from the earth. And then there’s the sun: It’s 93 million miles away. If you could travel at the speed of light, it would take you about 8 minutes to get to the sun! And once you get past the moon and the sun, the universe goes on and on for more miles than we can even count or imagine. The Bible says that God loves me bigger and higher than the end of the universe. And even when I do something wrong, He still loves me. He forgives me and takes my mistakes so far away that no one can ever find them again. Today, you can feel confident, knowing that God loves you to the moon and back, times infinity . . . he loves you “to infinity and beyond!”
There are so many lessons I can learn from the moon and travel in space. The astronauts could not go to the moon in their natural bodies. They needed “special bodies;” called space suits designed to survive in the harsh, airless environment of the moon. Those specially designed space suits protected the men from the sun’s blazing radiation and from micrometeorites, and at the same time providing them air to breath. Just as the space suits keep the astronauts from dying, our immortal bodies, given us by God and will keep us from dying eternally
When God visited our planet earth, He too chose to put on a “special body,” appropriate for His ultimate mission purposes, such as physical death for our redemption. Rather than come in all His majestic glory and power, “. . . Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God . . . took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; . . . He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).
The astronauts left their home planet Earth (a place filled with beauty and with life), to visit a drab, lifeless place with no air, no oceans, no blue sky, no clouds, where the sky is always black, and the “terrain” strewn with dust, rocks, scars, and impact craters. They landed on the moon’s “Sea of Tranquility,” a dry, flat, unspectacular region where no majestic mountains or scenic valleys exist. Jesus left the unimaginable glories of His heavenly home to descend down to a spiritually dark, sin-cursed planet filled with misery, sickness, oppression, and death. He did not land in any great city like Rome, Athens, Alexandria, not even in Jerusalem, the holy city, the “city of peace.” Instead He chose to come to the humble little town of Bethlehem, “. . . little among the thousands of Judah . . .” (Micah 5:2). And He came, knowing He would be born in a stable and sleep in a manger. He gave up His life that I might have my life!
Today, let’s take a moment to look at the sky. Whether you see a sliver of a crescent moon or a full, bright moon, remember that it is a tangible reminder of God’s love surrounding you. When you feel the weight of the world, let the moon remind you of a love that is higher, farther, and deeper than you can imagine. Lord, thank You for loving me more than I can comprehend—to the moon and back, times infinity. When I look at the night sky, let me be filled with wonder at Your greatness and comforted by Your tender care. Help me to reflect Your light in my daily life, bringing hope to the darkness. Amen.
I want to reflect Your light in my daily life, and have a small part in bringing hope to the darkness of this world.