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Sunrise Reflection

It’s 4:45 a.m. and the sky is a ribbon of flame burning horizontally—red, orange, yellow—behind the mountain silhouettes and topped by a solid grey block of not-yet-morning. Its boldness pulls my attention from my Bible. I sip my first cup of coffee and embrace the invitation to simply sit and watch. There was a time when I would have said God must have been feeling especially artistic on such a morning, painting yet another brilliant sunrise for early risers like me to see. But now I know better.

God doesn’t paint the sunrise anew every morning for me or for you or for anyone else. Long ago, he created the heavens to produce a unique display of beauty every morning for his own pleasure. The beauty honors him, the Creator, by being what God created it to be. The skies only do what God created them to do.

Now that God has created me and you and everyone else currently living, he invites us to enjoy the show with him. In fact, those of us who don’t rise early can catch the performance in reverse each evening. And if we’re paying attention, God will gladly show us millions of other such wonders throughout our lifetimes, available all over this planet just for the noticing. Like a parent delighting in revealing something yet undiscovered to a child, God delights in our enjoyment of his world. Our awed response to his creation brings him pleasure, too.

In fact, our recognition of his work and gratitude for it bring us into right into fellowship with him. Crediting and thanking him is worship. Such is prayer.

The heavens fulfill their purpose—in a non-sentient way—whenever the placement of the sun in relation to the earth causes the sky that we see to fill with color created by current atmospheric conditions: sometimes bold and fiery, sometimes baby blanket soft pastel, sometimes obscured by clouds, mist, fog, or rain. God’s creation does what God created it to do. The process brings him glory.

People are God’s creation, too. He made each of us with intent and purpose, giving us unique combinations of features, abilities, and placements that enable each of us to honor him in distinct ways. Unlike the heavens and the mountains and the seagulls that circle silhouettes throughout the morning sky, though, we have God-given choices about how we’ll move through this world. We can embrace our gifts and calling, living lives that honor our Creator and point him out to others. Or we can fight against what God has given, attempting to become other than God intended. As if the sun could refuse to illuminate the world. As if the daffodil could refuse to bloom. As if the potato or almond could refuse to nourish.

People can refuse, leaving their purpose unfilled and struggling to be what they are not.

But isn’t life enough of a challenge without adding unnecessary strife? When we yield to God, he gives his peace. We find joy just in being his children, savoring his presence in our lives, his pleasure in our worship. The Creator spoke us into being, then gave us creative freedom. But he is the only one who knows how and where we fit into this world’s story. Our best existence depends on our seeking direction from him.

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Photo by Artem Sapegin on Unsplash

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