Sunrises

I love sunrises, and fall is a time for especially beautiful sunrises in our part of Nebraska. I've taken pictures of several sunrises over the last few weeks. I can never remember which setting on my camera takes the best early-morning scenery pictures, so I end up taking quite a few pictures, using different settings, over the time period of 10 or 15 minutes or so.

When I'm looking at the sunrises in "real life" and when I look at the pictures on my computer I always have the same thought--what a great God we have, to have created such beauty solely for our enjoyment. He could have made every sunrise exactly the same, but He did not. Some mornings there are clouds...some mornings are perfectly clear...on some mornings there is a veil of mist over the fields. I have taken hundreds of pictures of sunrises during the 6 1/2 years we've lived in the country, and I am still amazed at how different the sunrises are from day to day, and even minute to minute.

Recently in my Bible study I've been reading a Psalm each morning. The following verses fit the beauty of His sunrises.

"Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious, merciful, and righteous." Psalm 122:4

When our days are dark because of circumstance, we can always be confident that "light will dawn," both literally and figuratively. Just as the sun comes up every morning and brightens the world, the Son  brightens our world through His love and grace and mercy. Just as the sun is there even when we cannot see it, the Son is also there. Even if we cannot see Him or we feel far away from Him, we can be confident that He cares for us, He listens to our prayers, and He is aware of everything that is going on in our lives.

 The other verse that inspired me; "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!"

When I watch a beautiful sunrise, I can't help but praise the Lord! I praise Him for giving us such beauty in our world, I praise Him that I am able to see and enjoy the sunrise and I praise Him for His gift to us that makes all other gifts pale: the gift of His Son and our salvation.

May you find joy in sunrises, and in the Son.