Quiet Stars

One of the best known stars is the North Star. Most of us hear about it before we look up into the sky and find it. Travelers have used it for thousands of years because it’s always perfectly due north. Other stars appear to change, but not the North Star. Those other stars get our attention because they are brighter—some of them much brighter. When you find the North Star, you’re not all that impressed. It’s not as spectacular as other lights in the sky. It doesn’t stand out in the crowd. But it’s always there when you need it. It’s the quiet star that gives you direction. You can depend on it because it’s always the same.

The Bible says Christians are lights in a dark world. “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). Do you want to be someone people can depend on? Don’t complain and fuss. Be there when others need you. Let your life give direction to those who’ve lost their bearings.

Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Jesus is not talking about seeking attention; He dealt with people like that in the next chapter. The Lord wants us to do good to give glory to Him.

Jesus talked about a North Star in Mark 12. He said there were other stars that got all the attention because that’s what they wanted. The scribes went around in their long robes and loved to be praised in synagogues (vv. 38-39). Rich men put large amounts into the treasury in front of everybody (v. 41). But one light got His attention. “Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood’” (vv. 42-44). She didn’t get any views on social media. We don’t even know her name. But Jesus noticed, and that’s what matters.

Kerry

West End church of Christ • December 28, 2025