“Horrorscope”

“Oh, no! Does that mean we are no longer compatible?”

That’s what one radio anchor exclaimed to her co-host (her spouse) in reaction to the news that, due to a wobble in the earth’s axis, zodiac signs may have changed. According to Time Magazine’s online NewsFeed, “The astronomers from the Minnesota Planetarium Society found that because of the moon’s gravitational pull on Earth, the alignment of the stars was pushed by about a month.” So, for example, I was born under the Cancer sign. But, due to this shift, I am no longer a crab but a car… err, a Gemini. “It turns out that astrology has had issues from its inception… Ancient Babylonians had 13 constellations, but wanted only 12, so threw out Ophuchicus, the snake holder. Libra didn’t even enter the picture until the era of Julius Caesar.” (Ibid)

I even read somewhere about an astrologer who writes a horoscope column for a newspaper. One cloudy night he could not read the stars. So he decided to just cut, mix and paste previous predictions. When no one among his avid followers noticed it, he stopped reading the stars altogether and merely recycled past horoscope columns. According to Board member Parke Kunkle of the Minnesota Planetarium Society, “You could predict when to harvest, when to plant, by the stars. So there is some predictive nature there.Then they took it too far, using it to determine when to go to war and people’s personalities.” (ABCNews.com) In short, people got too star-struck. So those who chose a mate or charted their future based on the constellations are now really confused. Time concluded, “Your astrological sign is determined by the position of the sun on the day you were born, so that means everything you thought you knew about your horoscope is wrong.”

God created the stars. But He meant it to point us to Him. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2, ESV) The world and all that is in it tell us that there is God. But the Word tells us who God is and what He wants for us and from us. That’s why, a few verses down, the Psalmist extolled the virtues of the Word of God. “The Law of the LORD is perfect; it gives us new life. His teachings last forever, and they give wisdom to ordinary people. The LORD’s instruction is right; it makes our hearts glad. His commands shine brightly, and they give us light.” (Vv. 7-8, CEV)

Brethren, focus on the Son, not on the stars.

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