For thousands of years, mariners and travelers fixed their eyes upon the North Star to help them find their bearings. We call it Polaris and it is the star at the tip of the Little Dipper’s handle. This North Star is the most fixed star in the sky, hovering directly over the north celestial pole. All other stars rotate counterclockwise around it in a 24-hour period, which produces a dizzying picture on a time-lapse camera.
If you face Polaris and lift both arms straight out to your sides, your right hand will point due east, your left hand will point due west, and the back of your head will be due south. You will have found your bearings.
Mariners and travelers knew the planets are not trustworthy sources for directions because they move as they travel along the ecliptic. The early mariners called the planets “wanderers,” because they would have been led astray if they followed them. The Bible tells us false teachers are like this… “wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever” (Jude 1:13). They might seem to shine brightly for a while, but they lead people AWAY from Christ and His Word. Our Bible words “err, led astray, and deceived,” are all from this same Greek root word for “planet.”
As the world grows darker, the Bible urges us to fix our eyes on Christ… “Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). He is our Constant. He assures us, “I am the LORD, I change not.” The Greek word “looking” is very specific, “to turn the eyes away from other things and FIX them on Jesus, to concentrate one’s gaze upon Him.” We do this by being in God’s Word daily, growing in our knowledge of Him, and nurturing our personal relationship through prayer.
What is the effect of fixing our eyes on Jesus? Staying on course, assurance of our Destination, and stability for our souls from the wiles of the wicked… “They have prepared a net for my steps… yet, my heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise!” (Psalm 57:6,7).
Maranatha. Keep looking up.
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