Currently I am living in the very remote Nsoko Swaziland. When I walk out of our team house, I am faced with the brush of Africa and breathtaking mountain ranges. During my quiet time I get the privilege of being emerged in God’s creation, from the red dirt to the shocking sunsets. With all of this, one creation in particular is truly unbelievable, the starry nights.
When the sky is clear and it is a new moon, God paints the sky with memorizing stars. There is no light pollution or tall buildings to block the twinkly stars out. We have a cement slab out back that I lay out on so I can stare up at the sky. The stars are so captivating that it is as if I could reach up and fall into them like a deep blue ocean. Sometime I am so locked into their beauty that the time passes right by. When I am out there at night it seems like I can hear His voice so clearly. It is unthinkable that the God who could create the stars created and loves me.
The most amazing thing about it all is that all of creation isn’t even at its full glory yet. I was totally taken back when I really deep dived into Romans 8. If you haven’t read it you really should, it talks about how all of creation is eagerly longing. Verses 18-21 are truly so good.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
I can’t even put into words how amazing this chapter is, and the the rest of the verses are just as great. Roman 8 definitely go read it. Anyways, I am still taken back at the fact that these breathtaking skies are eagerly longing and in bondage to corruption waiting for the freedom of the glory of the children of God, aka us. So just imagine how unexplainably beautiful the stars would be at night once they are freed from being suffocated by corruption. I truly can’t imagine, maybe that is what heaven will be. Creation at its true glory.
Lord help me remember these captivating African starry nights. I’m telling y’all, there is nothing like it. I wish I could take a picture but no camera could ever do it justice. Moments looking up at the sky are the ones that I will miss the most. I only have a couple weeks left in this unique country. Thank you Lord for bringing me here.
