One-a-Day...for the Heart: Sunrise, Sunset
He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting (Psalm 104:19 ESV).
God outdoes Himself with sunrises and sunsets. Breathtaking, spectacular, stunning, majestic—even those words are not descriptive enough for the sky’s beauty as we watch the sun rise or set over the ocean or a lush green country field.
When the sun shines throughout the day until dusk, it’s easy to take its light and warmth for granted. But when vibrant colors swirl around it at sunrise and sunset, it catches our attention and is cause for reflection of the magnificence of our Maker.
It happened like this when God created the sun, as recorded in Genesis 1:14 (NLT): Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.” His spoken word was enough to create something as brilliant as the sun and moon. Just a word was all that was needed.
As His creation progressed, within a few days, God created man, and His breath alone was all that was needed to bring His masterpiece to life, for as Genesis 2:7 (NLT) says, Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person. Not only did He give physical life to man here on earth, but He also gave the possibility of eternal life, and it started with the breath of God.
Life can get so busy or complicated that we forget to consider what a colossal force of supernatural power and creativity is behind our lives and world. One of the simplest yet forgotten basics of living a successful Christian life is praising the Lord. He is so worthy of our praise! Throughout the day, we have multiple opportunities to thank and praise Him if we pause long enough to do it.
From the rising of the sun to its going down, the Lord’s name is to be praised (Psalm 113:3 NKJV). That’s all day long. Rather than the jolting ring of an alarm clock, the Lord places a gorgeous sunrise in His sky to announce the beginning of a new day. Meteorologists give precise times when the sun will rise and set. In the evening, the Lord orders the sun to set—the sun knows its time for setting Psalm 104:19, and God marks the end of a day with another splash of beauty and brilliance. All the while, His name is to be praised.
From God’s glorious announcement that day has begun to His spectacular sunset finales, His name is to be praised. When you awaken, praise Him. As you include Him in your day, praise Him, and He will come near to strengthen and help. Making praise a priority is a life-changing practice that has innumerable benefits. The Lord’s name is to be praised from the sun's rising to its going down!
© 2023, Chris Custer Werre