Inside: What the sunrise teaches us about God’s glory and presence, even during seasons when it’s hard to feel Him with us.
Last winter, when the sun rose later and I was able to get outside to run before the break of dawn, I noticed something interesting. Dawn comes every morning, but when the sky is clear, it’s not as spectacular. It’s the presence of clouds that make the sunrise brilliant.
This doesn’t happen when it’s completely overcast, of course. But when there are white or gray clouds spread across the sky, the sun’s early morning beams reflect off them, producing all the glorious colors that take our breath away while we’re driving to work or walking to school or running down the trail.
There’s a spiritual application here, I think. Without the clouds—the problems, cares and concerns of life—we would miss many opportunities to see God’s glory and provision displayed.
I’ve found it to be true; perhaps you have too. Often, it is in seasons of struggle and weariness that we find God’s peace to be most sustaining, His comfort most reassuring, His presence most stabilizing.
Maybe we have to come to the end of ourselves to realize He truly is the only Source of everything we need?
But what about the days when the sky is completely overcast? How do they fit into our spiritual metaphor?
Is it contradictory to suggest that tough seasons provide equal opportunities to feel closer to God than ever, and also further apart than ever? Perhaps, but it’s also true.
God sometimes seems distant when we’re going through a hard time. He doesn’t appear to be answering our prayers. We don’t notice evidence of His hand at work. He feels far away.
The thing about God, though, is that He doesn’t change with our circumstances. We might not feel Him, but that doesn’t mean He’s not there. It just means we don’t feel Him.
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again—to myself and anyone else who will listen. Like love, faith is a choice. It’s a choice to believe that God is who He says He is even if He feels distant or seems unconcerned.
The thing is, glorious sunrises don’t happen very often—at least not where I live. I don’t usually get out on the trail before the sun comes up during the summer, but I can think of only two times last winter when the sky was so amazing I had to stop running and take a picture.
The sun keeps rising, though. Day after day.
The older I get, the more I’m realizing that life is a journey. It’s a long walk home. It’s a long obedience in the same direction, as Eugene Peterson titled his wonderful book.
On rainy days, sunny days, days when we see evidence of God’s hand and days when all we can do is put one foot in front of another and know that tomorrow is a new day.
These are the lessons that the dawn is teaching me. They’re obvious, perhaps, but sometimes the things that are right in front of our nose—or above our heads, as the case may be—are the things we need reminded of the most.
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” (Psalm 113:3)
• • •
I’m going out of town next week so I’ll be taking a short blogging break. I’ll be back in early October with new posts, including a short series about my word of the year from 2021 that I’ve been thinking about writing for much longer than that.
♥ Lois
God doesn’t change with our circumstances. We might not feel Him, but that doesn’t mean He’s not there. It just means we don’t feel Him. #Godiswithus Click To Tweet Like love, faith is a choice. It’s a choice to believe that God is who He says He is even if He feels distant or seems unconcerned. #Godiswithus Click To TweetP.S. I’m linking up with OneWord2022, #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Recharge Wednesday, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.
Image by Cal Brown from Pixabay
28 comments
How insightful!!
God truly brings beauty into the clouds for it is when we are rescued out of messiness mess that we can shine in all His glory.
Thank you…I needed this.
I’m glad it was encouraging for you, Barb! 🙂
Lois, what a beautiful post. It’s funny, because I’ve been thinking about how, to have a beautiful sunrise, there must be clouds in the sky. I love where you took this. God is always with us, even when we don’t feel Him. His beauty shines through in the middle of our hard circumstances. The question is, will we stop to notice? Thanks for this. You’ve got me thinking my friend. Enjoy your trip!
Thanks for your kind words, Jeanne. Yes, we stop to notice His handiwork in our physical surroundings (you are especially good at this), but reminding ourselves to look for His presence in hard circumstances takes effort and discipline, doesn’t it? Hugs, friend.
Such a comfort to remember He doesn’t change with our circumstances. I especially like this: “sometimes the things that are right in front of our nose—or above our heads, as the case may be—are the things we need reminded of the most.” Yes!! Hope your time away is lovely!
Thanks, Bethany. I’m glad I’m not the only one who sometimes misses the most obvious things! 🙂
over time we learn that He hasn’t changed or removed Himself or gone somewhere. and that gives us peace and the zeal to seek Him. we find Him when we search with our whole souls.
He is worth the journey.
weekend blessings, friend …
“He is worth the journey.” Such a beautiful testimony, Linda. Hugs, friend.
Yes, Nature can be a great reminder of God’s presence in our lives even we don’t really ‘feel’ Him.
Yes, Corinne … and I’m so thankful for that!
I love this, Lois: “It’s the presence of clouds that make the sunrise brilliant.” Often it takes me getting through the fog before I can see how God really was at work in my circumstance. I’m grateful that God is dependably present with us when we can see him and when we can’t.
Lisa, I know what you mean about seeing things in retrospect. That is often the case with me as well. I’m thankful God knows how we are wired and is gracious to reveal Himself to us when we are ready to see.
This is true, Lois, “It is in seasons of struggle and weariness that we find God’s peace to be most sustaining, His comfort most reassuring, His presence most stabilizing.” I think He is always there, like the sun rising day-after-day, but we don’t always “notice” His Presence. But when we are weary and struggling, we do notice Him, and we are comforted and reassured by His nearness.
Beautifully put, Lisa. Even if we don’t feel Him–like when our minds are clouded with anxiety or depressed thoughts or haywire hormones or sheer exhaustion … the truth is still true, that He is with us.
I’d never put words around it before, but I do see how dawn shows up differently in every season, but light still arrives. And there’s beauty in all of it.
Amen, Michele. 🙂
Such a comforting analogy, Lois! I never tire of seeing the sun shine through the clouds in countless ways. And this is so true in life – “Without the clouds—the problems, cares and concerns of life—we would miss many opportunities to see God’s glory and provision displayed.” Yes! And when it’s completely overcast, I am so, so grateful that God’s character is faithful! Love and blessings to you! Have a refreshing time away!
Thanks so much, Trudy. It may sound a bit strange but I find completely overcast days to be kind of cozy … now I will think of you and God’s faithfulness when I see an overcast sky. Hugs, friend.
Lois, I love this analogy! In fact I was thinking of this very thing this morning on the way to work. The sky was spectacular, with all shades of purples, due to the few clouds present. How true in my own life, when I was able to see God’s glory more magnificently through the hardships.
Reading your comments on an overcast day brought to mind the little book allegory, “Hind’s Feet on High Places”, by Hannah Hurnard. In one place she comments on her depression and disappointment: likening it to the clouds obscuring the beautiful mountain view. God showed her, the truth that, like the mountains, He was still there in the midst of her turmoil, though she could not see Him. And just like the sun finally chasing the clouds from the mountains, His glory would outshine any hardship she encountered, but it required faith to continue walking.
Donna, that’s such a good lesson from “Hind’s Feet…” Now that you mention the book, I’m trying to remember if I ever read the whole thing … I think so. Perhaps there are situations when we only see God’s glory in retrospect too … when the sun eventually comes out and we realize He had been there all along. Don’t you love how God reveals himself in nature? (I know you do!)
Clouds are what make the sunrise beautiful. They also help us realize our need for God.Ever since I chose dawn as my One Word for 2022, I’ve been paying a lot more attention to the sunrise.
Last winter, when the sun rose later and I was able to get outside to run before the break of dawn, I noticed something interesting.
The sun rises every morning, but when the sky is clear, it’s not as spectacular. It’s the presence of clouds that make the sunrise brilliant.
This doesn’t happen when it’s completely overcast, of course. But when there are white or gray clouds spread across the sky, the sun’s early morning beams reflect off them, producing all the glorious colors that take our breath away while we’re driving to work or walking to school or running down the trail.
There’s a spiritual application here, I think. Without the clouds—the problems, cares and concerns of life—we would miss many opportunities to see God’s glory and provision displayed.
I’ve found it to be true; perhaps you have too. Often, it is in seasons of struggle and weariness that we find God’s peace to be most sustaining, His comfort most reassuring, His presence most stabilizing.
Maybe we have to come to the end of ourselves to realize He truly is the only Source of everything we need?
But what about the days when the sky is completely overcast? How do they fit into our spiritual metaphor?
No, it is not contradictory. I have come to recognize those tough seasons and while I recognize how hard it can be, I have also learned that they have motivated my need to seek God’s wisdom. It requires hard work to learn how best to address it, and I wonder so many times where He is when I need Him most, but I’ve learned to be patient and when I invest time in studying His word, I usually figure it out.
Oh Beverly … God is gracious to help us find Him when we are seeking Him, isn’t He? And often when we are not, as well. Good to hear from you this week!
I like that analogy of the the sunrise colors looking more spectacular when they have something to reflect off of. I’ve often heard people say, and have found it to be true myself, that even if we would not have chosen a partuclar trial, we’ve come to know the Lord more fully than we did before.
Enjoy your trip and your break! 🙂
I’ve found that to be true too, Barbara. God knows what we need so much better than we do, doesn’t He?
Lois,
When trials come and God feels distant, that’s when I really have to shift from feelings to facts. Sadly, feelings lie. They can be healthy and cathartic, but they can also whisper lies like “God doesn’t care.” When I start to feel that way, I have to shift to reading my tool kit of spiritual truth which reminds me of God’s ever-present, ever-compassionate character. Enjoy your blogging break!
Blessings,
Bev xx
I agree totally, Bev. Feelings are real, but they’re not facts or truth. If they were truth, they wouldn’t change. And of course, they do—constantly! I’m so grateful for the foundational truth we find when we meditate on God’s character. Hugs, friend.
Lois, I loved this. It’s packed full of such simple, yet wise and wonderful truths about how God works, always!
Thank you, Donna. We make it complicated sometimes, don’t we? I’m so glad God never changes!