When Morning Dawns

I watched the sunrise this morning. It was glorious! It had rained before sunrise, so the sky was still scattered with clouds. As the sun began to near the horizon the clouds became brilliant shades of orange and yellow, pink and purple, all cast against a dark sky turning blue. Amazing! I took pictures with my phone, but they are not comparable to the reality of it.

As I went back inside to study God’s word, the scene kept unfolding in my mind, and it spilled across the pages of God’s word giving it new understanding. I’ve been studying in Psalm 46 where the earth is in turmoil, everything is changing, and the world is fearful. But God reminds us that there is a place in His presence that is good and unshakable, a place where He has made wars to cease, and He reminds those of us in His presence that He will help us when morning dawns.

I thought about that beautiful sunrise that came on the clouds of the storm that had just passed. Without the clouds, the colors would not have been as vibrant. It was the rain storm that made the morning dawn that much more beautiful. I also thought about the truth that nothing could stop the sun from rising. The morning will dawn. You can’t stop it.

I think that’s what God wants us to know about Him in Psalm 46. Nothing can stop Him. Our world may feel scary and uncertain. Natural disasters or man-made wars may be changing the foundations of our lives, but in His presence, we can find peace and happiness. And when He comes to help us, nothing can stop Him! Morning will dawn! That’s why, at the end of the Psalm, God invites us to be still and know He is God and worship and praise Him.

I love knowing this about my God! This truth gives me strength and encourages me. And did you know that Jesus calls Himself “the bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16)? He promises to give those who overcome the darkness of this world “the morning star,” which is Himself (Revelation 2:28). Jesus also said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follow me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). God is revealing His character to us through His Word and through His power seen in nature. He wants us to know Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. He wants us to respond with praise and worship. He wants us to live in the freedom of His presence, and not bound by fear.

Know this: whatever darkness you feel you are walking in right now, it cannot prevail in the presence of the Light. So, look to Him. Look to Jesus, the bright morning star, and watch as He turns those storm clouds into something beautiful and brilliant. He will help you when morning dawns . . . and nothing can stop Him! Praise the Lord!

Psalm 46

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.

1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Dear Lord, we praise You and thank You for who You are. You are mighty and powerful and nothing can stand in Your way. Help us to place our trust in You. Help us to live in Your presence with peace and gladness, even when the world is fearful. Remind us who You are, and let us not forget that we are Yours. Thank You, Jesus, for making the way for us to be in Your holy presence. We give You praise! In Jesus's name, Amen!

To Share or Not to Share

I often share God’s word with others. Maybe I send a picture or a verse or a thought to encourage or help someone along the way. Maybe you’ve done the same. Today, I was thinking about sharing a verse with someone. Do I share? Do I not share? That was my dilemma. The last time I shared with this person it was taken wrong and misused and misunderstood, so I was hesitant to share today. I feared that would happen again. I didn’t want what was meant for encouragement to be fuel for some misconceived idea. But no sooner than I had that thought did another thought occur to me. God says to us, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). God’s word does its job! It fulfills His will.

I was also reminded of Pharaoh in the Exodus story. The LORD told Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let His people go. The LORD said, “But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go” (Exodus 4:12). And that’s exactly what happened; God’s word hardened Pharaoh’s heart, just like it was meant to do. The people suffered through the plagues that ensured due to Pharaoh’s hard heart, and they were terrified and feared death as they were pinned against the Red Sea by the Egyptian army. While this was difficult and scary for God’s people, in the midst of it all, The LORD was revealing Himself to both His people and to Egypt, and even to all of us who know this story. The LORD was showing His power and control over creation. He was revealing His strength to defeat the strongest army. He was making His presence known among His people. He was showing HIs tender care to protect and provide for His own. God revealed Himself through Pharaoh’s hard heart. God’s word did exactly what He wanted it to do. It allowed Him to make Himself known.

In life, it is never easy to walk through difficult circumstances. Life is tough. Times are hard. But if you are a child of God, He is there in your midst. Immanuel, God with us, is there. Jesus promised, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

What we have to understand is threefold: 1) Jesus is with us. We are not alone, not unnoticed by Him. So be encouraged to know He is with you in your trouble. 2) God reveals Himself through our circumstances. If you are going through something tough, then keep looking for Him. He is trying to show you something about Himself: His protection or provision, His love for you, HIs strength, His devotion. Be looking for His revealed character, and when you notice it, thank Him and hold onto it because that was specifically for you. 3) Sometimes God’s word softens hearts and people change. Praise God! But sometimes God’s word hardens hearts, like Pharaoh’s. Either way, His word will do its job. So, if you’ve been called to share His word, and you think that word will cause difficulty or strife, or even a hard heart, then be prayerful and share with grace, but by all means - share! Even though we don’t understand God’s logic at times, remember, a hardened heart may be the result God desires. However, that hardened heart may be the very thing that reveals the LORD’s tender love and care to someone else, so don’t be afraid to share. Let the LORD determine the outcome of His word. And hold onto the beautiful image of the fruitful, life-giving effects of God’s word found in Isaiah 55:8-13:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts; Nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush, the cypress will come up, And instead of the nettle, the myrtle will come up, And it will be a memorial to the LORD For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.”