Waiting for Sunrise

As a rule, I don’t get up early. Ever.

Sunrises are a myth.

I have never seen one, so I assume they don’t exist.

Well, that was true until one morning a couple months ago.

My grandmother had passed away and I was in the middle of preparing her funeral message. I didn’t quite finish the night before, so I set the alarm for 5:00am. 5:00am!!!

It was really dark when I rose. I broke the darkness of my office with my desk light and sat down to try to give words to the life of our matriarch.

Then, before I knew it, it had happened. The darkness of 5:00am was beginning to be pulled back.

Light was beginning to pierce the night. I stepped out the door to watch. It happens quickly.

Almost too quickly.

Darkness was here and then…gone. It was morning.

Darkness lost its battle to win the day.

It made me think – there is much we can learn about the character of God from the faithfulness of the sunrise.

1. It is Always Faithful

I might usually miss it, but it always comes. Like clockwork, the sun breaks through the darkness. 40 years of life and the sunrise has never skipped a day.

God hasn’t either.

“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

You might feel alone these days. You aren’t. God is always faithful. He has not left you.

2. It Always Brings Light

Darkness cannot defeat the light. Every morning the light pierces the darkness and wins a day-long victory.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

The days and nights seem long and dark right now. But darkness doesn’t have the final word. It will not overcome our nation or our hearts.

3. God Tells It When to Rise

These times seems dark. These times are dark.

But darkness doesn’t win.

The sunrise always comes. It always wins. Darkness can’t overcome the morning. And, with morning, comes new mercy from our God. Mercy that lets hope rise.

“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.’” (Lamentations 3:22–24)

There is good news for all of us in a sunrise – His mercy is new every morning. And, Lord knows, we need new mercy right now!