Sunrise – Sunset
Red: Matthew 16:1-4
He replied, “You know
the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow, red sky in the
morning means foul weather all day? You
are good at reading the weather signs in the sky, but you can’t read the obvious
of the times!” (Matthew 16:2-3
NLT)
On the way to St. Louis this morning
I saw one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve ever seen in Missouri. It seems as though our great Creator God took
his finger and drew streaks of red, orange, yellow, and pink across the eastern
horizon. In the background you could see
the pale blue-gray of morning light.
Hovering overhead like a huge umbrella hung dark gray clouds giving the
entire scene a 3-D effect. The soft rays
of color reached out from the clouds like sunbeams radiating their colors at
various angles earthward. I thought to myself, where is my camera when I need it?
My mind was captivated with thoughts
of the glory, splendor, and majesty of a God who would paint such a picturesque
scene. As the colors began to fade a
prayer of praise and worship formed on my lips.
I felt like shouting the words of David found in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will
give you the desires of your heart.”
(NIV) All day long flashbacks
of color kept skipping across the front of my mind. What a glorious God we serve!
On my way home from work I was once
again brought face to face with the heavenly artist with a repeat performance
of the morning sunrise with a stunning evening sunset. Brilliant hues enhanced the sky as the sun
dipped below the horizon. Never before
had I experience two awesome scenes of beauty on the same day. What was God trying to say to me in this glorious
splendor?
In the morning rush hour traffic
God’s beauty lifted my spirit and helped me prepare for a tough day of
work. Now that the day was over and the
spirit sagged, God gave me a new experience of his glory by painting another
picture of brilliance to refresh my tired body and spirit.
How can we ever thank God enough for
the way he provides strength for a wearied spirit, encouragement for the
downfallen, and comfort for the disheartened?
His way of meeting our individual needs is unfathomable, but always on
time. In all my years of following the
Lord, I have never known him to fail.
If you are in need of encouragement
or strength to make it through the difficulties of life, look around you and
see the great Creator God at work. Ask
him to open your spiritual eyes to see the glories of his presence.
Thought for the
Day: God is everywhere around you; set your eyes upon Him.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the beauty provided
for us in nature.
