One of the great lessons I've learned throughout my Christian life is that the brightest stars often shine at the close of the darkest nights. When darkness covers our lives, families and nations, we often panic. Discouragement fills our hearts, and despair often ensues. But we must never forget that the disciples were totally distraught when Jesus died, but they were incredibly empowered after He arose from the grave. There couldn't have been a resurrection without the death of Christ.

Many years ago, our son became ill. My wife and I were living in Germany at the time, and I was pastor of a church composed primarily of American military personnel. My heart broke to see our son suffer. As any parent, I longed to see him healthy. It was a very difficult time for my wife and me. We prayed, but our prayers didn't seem to do very much. It was such a dark night.

During that time, God worked deeply in my life and my wife's life. There was a genuine revival that took place in our marriage. There was a Christian chorus that was popular at the time, and I would listen to it often. The words simply said, "In His time, He makes all things beautiful - in His time." I knew we were going through an extremely difficult time in our marriage and family. But hope welled up in my heart. It was nighttime, but soon the "bright Morning Star" would shine.

And He did shine. God healed our son. But most of all, He healed our marriage. We had gone through a difficult period. But I've often said since then, "I don't believe my wife and I would be doing today what we're doing if we hadn't gone through that season in our lives. God used the darkness to show us the glory of His Son, Jesus. I came to appreciate and love Jesus as the "bright Morning Star."

The radiance of His glory always dispels the darkness. The beauty of His holiness always exposes the evil. The greatness of His power always enables the weak. The magnificence of His love always secures our best. Oh, when Jesus shines in our hearts, there's hope - there's joy; there's beauty; and there's security. There's nothing that compares to His glory. Yes, He's the "bright Morning Star."

You may be going through a dark time in your life. Circumstances may be overwhelming you. Sin may be chasing you. Sickness may be destroying you. Situations may be perplexing you. Your emotions may be playing games with you. But today, there's hope for you. Remember - the "bright Morning Star" always dispels the darkness. The sun always rises. It never fails. The night will end. Morning is coming. And Jesus will shine upon you with His glory.