Figures of the True

This afternoon I looked outside of my bedroom window and though it was still daylight, I could see the moon clearly in the sky. It's interesting how you can see the moon so clearly some days while others days she stays hidden until the sun has set. On most days, the sky must be dark before the moon can be coaxed out into the open to grace the evening.

I felt there must be something that could be learned in observing this simple daylight moon, because in my experience, God has used nature, the skies, animals, relationships, seasons, science, art, music... all of these things, and so many more, to teach me, to cause me to sit up straight and pay attention, because they are all strands and loops of a giant, brilliant tapestry of grace.

The moon and the stars are like God in this way: You might not always see them, but you know they are always there. Amy Carmichael used to call these types of comparisons "figures of the true," these metaphors from nature that speak to the majesty and attributes of God. All around us, everywhere we look, are reminders of who He is.