Every Morning Never Ends
Sunrises are hope-filled events. Beautiful colors can fill the sky all across the horizon. The insecurities of the night are scattered. There seems to be only promise ahead. It shouldn’t surprise us that the Bible is filled with images and metaphors of the dawn - of a new day and light breaking into the darkness. A sunrise is an immersive reminder of the hope that we have in Jesus. But make sure you take in the full picture.
Listen to Lamentations 3:22-24,
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
These are great promises and there have been many mornings when this verse has come to my mind. But I don’t usually think about this verse in the evening and I’m afraid it is because my frame for the picture has been too small. I think of God’s mercies as new in the morning, but by the time the night comes I’ve used up all the mercies for that day. God needs to re-charge overnight so I’m on my own until tomorrow. I would never say it like that out loud, but I might live as if that’s true. And here is where I need to widen my scope.
The reality is that the sun is always rising. A new day is always dawning. Every second of every day as the Earth turns there is a part of our world that is seeing the first light. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases and his mercies never come to an end! They are new every morning and every morning never stops! The brilliant colors may fade where you are but they are brilliantly shining just west of where you stand.
The dawn is always breaking because the sun is always shining. The darkness of the night was a temporary condition that prevented you from seeing the light, but the light didn’t go out. So it is with our God. His glory is always shining - and his glory is much brighter than the sun. So much so that the Bible says this of the city where we will one day be with God,
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
Christian, whatever you have gone through, or are going through, or will go through that has obscured the light; and no matter how long it lasts - even if it lasts your whole earthly life; know this - it is a temporary condition. You will feel the light of the Lord on your face again and after that forever.
This reminds us of our need to confess our sins.
Father, forgive us for believing the lies of the world, for believing that your love for us has dimmed, that your mercy just isn’t enough this time, perhaps even that you have abandoned us. You alone are faithful, God. Forgive us for our lack of faith. We confess these sins now, with our personal sins, in this moment of silence…
Father, our sins they are many - but your mercy is more. Stronger than darkness and new every morning. We praise you, God. Nowhere do we see your steadfast love and your mercy displayed in your glory more than in Jesus Christ. Thank you for sending your faithful servant to a faithless people. Thank you for saving us and clothing us with the righteousness of Jesus, who carries our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. Work in us by your Spirit so that we live like the dawn is always breaking - full of hope and awash in your kindness to us.
In Jesus name, amen.