What’s The Big Deal?

That’s the question I was asking myself the other day. I still don’t have the answer to my question, but I know there is an answer. Does anyone ever feel that way? Something inside of you indicates a warning or excitement or significance; however, the knowledge of it is just out of reach. I have those moments often.

Tuesday morning I got up before my husband and children, like I normally do. I am really very predictable. I like to read my Bible early while the house is still quiet. I put my water glass on the dining room table and, if it’s winter, I look out the window at the stars. I love them! The constellation Orion always travels down my driveway and, first thing in the morning, he’s right over the center of it. Next, I get my coffee. I sit down and place my Bible right in front of me, my pen and paper on the right side, and close my eyes. Even as I write this I am laughing at my own predictability! After a few minutes my husband will wake up and go downstairs to read his morning devotions. This morning, though, he was really excited about the view out our back window.

“You have to come see this star!” He exclaimed. “It’s really bright!” I love the stars, and I have seen some bright ones. Still, I didn’t share his excitement. I just wanted him to be quiet so I could keep reading. He was persistent, though, and convinced me to look. On the way to the door, God told me to grab my phone. I heard him say, “Get your phone with the constellation app on it.” Looking out the back window was beautiful. However, when I held my phone up and used the constellation app, I was blown away! I could feel my spirit leap within me! The constellation was Leo, the lion. Jesus is known as the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5), and the bright star was the planet Venus! I know very little about the stars and planets, but I know when my spirit leaps within me, something is a big deal!

When our heavenly Father gives a message, he always confirms it with his word or with number patterns or by speaking through people or songs. Immediately after I saw the constellation, my husband asked what day it was. I replied it was October 10th and then got excited. “Oh!” I gasped. “It’s October 10th!! Ten ten!” I knew that was a confirmation because of John 10:10. When I returned to my Bible, I received another confirmation. The very next verses I read were from Isaiah 41:10-13. If our Lord confirms his signs and wonders twice, it’s important.

The Bible says in the last days many will be deceived (2 Timothy 3:13). True, we do have to study God’s word and use the discernment he’s given us through his Holy Spirit. However, I’ve heard many well-meaning people strongly discourage “experiences” from God. My heart breaks for them because of all the awesome things they will miss! Yes, we don’t want to get carried away and focus only on sensational prayers and worship. Still, our Lord’s own word in Psalm 19:1 says,

The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork,

and again in Genesis 1:14,

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;

and in Acts 2:19,

I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath…

So how do I know what I saw is truly from God? How do I know Leo didn’t just happen to be above our backyard, coincidentally on October 10th and I just happened to remember a Bible verse or just happened to be in that chapter of Isaiah that day? How can I know for sure that my spirit jumping inside of me was not my pre-breakfast hunger pangs? Well, when God promised Abraham that his descendents would outnumber the stars, Abraham believed him. God counted Abraham righteous because of his belief in the promise (Genesis 15:4-6).

We don’t just have blind belief, though. If God’s word is infallible, which we know it is, Jesus told us in it that he’d give us the Spirit of Truth when he was taken up into heaven (John 14:16). Our Lord called his Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth because the Spirit’s job is to guide us into what is true (John 16:13) and help us discern what is false (1 Corinthians 2:10). We don’t have to wonder, we just have to ask.

The constellation Leo over the Midwest with a bright Venus in it was symbolic. The Ring of Fire solar eclipse that happened a few days later was powerful. The fact that God’s chosen people were brutally attacked prior to these two events was momentous. Could these be fulfilling Ezekiel 38 or Matthew 24? I don’t know. I do know this: I experienced something. I trusted the Spirit of Truth to confirm it and he did with Scripture. God communicating his plans to us is a big deal…a very big deal. Now, it’s time to look up!!

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity… men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth… Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Luke 21:25-28 NKJV