And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.”

Genesis 1:14, 15

On day 4 of Creation, God placed two great lights in the heavens. Lights we recognize as the sun and our moon; one direct and one reflective.

The earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours.

The moon’s rotation around the earth every 27.5 days..

The earth makes a complete rotation around the sun every 365.265 days.

Just as promised, from that day until now, the sun and our moon have separated the day from the night and served to mark months and years. They have done so without interruption or failure.

And the seasons? They are made possible because the earth, as it travels around the sun, does not face it directly, but is tipped by 23.5 degrees. The result is variations in the amount of sunlight striking the earth at different points in the rotation. For the Creator who made everything from nothing, this adjustment-- that makes so much of our life possible--is a housekeeping chore; like straightening a picture as you leave a room.

As we know, there are many in this world who refuse to make the connection from the physical processes to the Creator behind them. They will willingly accept a thousand different explanations, as long as none points to a personal God. To observe the creation without seeking to know the Creator behind it is much like studying the Bible as literature: while there is some value, it misses the point.

In Matthew 5:45 our Lord says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous…"

In our earthly home, the sun in the day and the moon at night, the rain from above, the mystery of the seed and the bounty of the harvest are gifts bestowed on all mankind. These gifts aren’t only given to the righteous and the just, but also on the evil and the unjust. And that is for one reason: His grace and His love are greater than all our sin.

Nancy Shirah