5 Aug, 2008

Two Minutes of Darkness

The Son created the sun.

Total Solar Eclipse of 2008 August 1st in Siberia

A very unique astronomical phenomenon took place on the territory of Russia on the 1st August 2008. The total eclipse with a width of about 250 km crossed the Western Siberia from the north to the south, then the Altai Mountains and then further to the difficult to access regions of China and Mongolia. The total phase lasted just under 2:27 minutes in Nizhnevartovsk.
The next total solar eclipses will occur in Northern America in 2017, in Europe - in 2026, and in Russia - in 2030!

Story courtesy www.total-eclipse-2008.com & photo images.google.com 08/04/08

Psalm 19:1-4 (NLT)

1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.

What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about God's creation and how we should view it?

In this psalm, David is meditating on God's power and our limitations. God's ultimate power is displayed all around us through His incredible handiwork! God's creation was done by His Son, the spotless Lamb of God.

When you look at the sun (you can only glance, because of the brightness), you are seeing dramatic proof of God's existence, His power, His love, and His care for you and me. God's creation and His attention to design and detail just scream out the truth of a Creator who is personally involved in our lives.

In Siberia there was two minutes of darkness, but thanks to God we don't have to live in darkness.

The Son, Jesus Christ, was and is spotless (always perfect, without sin), which is more proof that God, our Creator, loves us so much that he provided the only Sacrifice that could pay the penalty for our sins.

It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. (1 Peter 1:19 NLT)

God wants us to make this discovery - that as we abide in Christ, we will take on His perspective if we take a look at His creation and worship Him. His power and forgiveness is undeniable.

How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?

  • Talk to God right now about His power and care in your life. Confess the times that you take His creation for granted. Praise Him for His amazing display of His creative power and personal care in your life. Thank Him for providing His Son, the spotless One, Who can forgive us and keep us in right relationship with our Creator.
  • Try to take a walk every day when you talk to Jesus about your walk with Him. Take a couple of minutes to look at God's creation and then listen to His Spirit at work in you.
  • In your journal, write a daily example of how you are amazed by God's creative power and His Son living in you.
  • Let any media coverage about the sun remind you to enjoy God's creation and unconditional love in your life.

How can we connect the truth of today's story and God's story and our story to others who need to know Jesus?

  • Remember that even though the psalmist is telling us that part of God's Story is being told to the world through His creation, we still need to do our part. God's creative handiwork communicates His existence and power, but His story of salvation through Jesus Christ is found in the Bible. Jesus has told His followers to tell God's Story to "the ends of the earth".
  • So....pray, show others Christ's love, and listen to their stories. Look for those moments when you can talk about God's creation with others.
  • Ask them how long they think you can look at the sun without damaging your eyes? Ask them how they think the sun came into existence? Share your story of how The Son came into your life and that someday you will be able to see the creator of the sun face to face in Heaven.
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The Daily Bide is brought to you by a team of writers from Youth for Christ/USA. The writers all have various years of experience in youth ministry but share a common bond in serving Jesus and discovering what it means to abide deeply everyday and to connect God's Story with those around them. A number of the Daily Bide writers have also written portions of our 3Story® resources. You can check out our resources at the 3Story.org website or connect with our writers at 3story@yfc.net. If you have a question or a story you would like to share, please reference the Daily Bide date in your email.

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