Sunrise

Yesterday morning, I awoke early to prepare for Sunday's service. It's part of my routine. I sneak downstairs while the house is still quiet, curl up with a copy of my message, spend some time praying, and then go over what I've prepared to share at church. It's become a pretty sweet and sacred experience every week.

As I sat there yesterday morning, I looked out the window in time to see the very first rays of dawn creeping over the horizon. Dark black gave way to gray, and then suddenly there was a burst of intense reddish-orange beyond the silhouette of the trees. In just a few minutes, the whole sky began to brighten as ribbons of yellow-gold licked across the horizon. It was like the edge of the world had caught fire.

I sat there in the stillness of the new day holding my breath, amazed at how quickly the sunrise broke forth. And my thoughts were instantly drawn to the words of Jeremiah:

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!'" (Lamentations 3:22-24 NLT)

Just think: Every night as we sleep the Lord is still awake, loving us, pouring out compassion upon us, preparing fresh mercies to greet us in the morning. And just as we can count on the sun to break forth with each new day, we can depend upon God's relentless faithfulness. He's always there... waiting, loving, guiding.