The Sunrise Club: Receiving Morning Mercies

Hi Friends, we have returned from our wonderful family time at the Jersey shore, my happy place. As many of you know, my favorite thing about the shore is walking early in the morning at sunrise.

So here are some current photos from our “down the shore” trip, along with another meditation from our upcoming book: Glory in Disguise: Seeing God in Our Every Day.

I pray you see Him afresh as you read and reflect.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 22: 22-23 NLT

I have a Sunrise Club.  My brother Conrad and I are charter members.  Whenever I go to the coast in New Jersey, I must get up to see at least one sunrise.  Often Conrad will call me to make sure I’m up, and he joins me. Through the years, various family members have joined the club. And each of them has fulfilled the basic requirement of seeing at least one sunrise.

CONRAD (vp) & JAN (Pres) — ORIGINAL “SUNRISE CLUB” MEMBERS

You may ask why I love sunrises so much.  To me a sunrise is a magnificent picture of the glory of our God, manifested in His beautiful creation. 

The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5     which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
    and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them,
    and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
Psalm 19:1-6 ESV

Now there are beautiful sunrises everywhere.  I’ve seen glorious sunrises with my grandson Kaden over the mountains to the east of their home in Menifee, CA. Recently, my husband John & I have viewed the early sunrise between mountain peaks in Tucson.  And even here at home in Ohio, the colors of the rising sun can often amaze us with its glory.

However, as we East Coast sunrise watchers all know, the Cadillac of all sunrises takes place over the ocean.  The vastness of the ocean and the littleness of me on the shore help to correct my perspective about God and my life. And the sunrise over the ocean speaks with new messages every day. I see and hear and feel and smell and even taste God there in a unique way.

In the moments leading into the actual breaking forth of the fiery sun-ball, there are constant changes in color, lighting, shapes, atmosphere.  No two moments are the same, just as no two sunrises are the same. And then when the sun bursts forth out of the straight-line horizon of the ocean…wow! Glory indeed.

But many days we may be disappointed by no visible glory.  The clouds, the rain, the fog, the haze may all obscure the rising of the sun.  But we know the sun has still risen, often with a silvery beauty all its own.

How do we know that the sun has risen?  By faith.  Because we know the sun rises every day. And that's why I now love all sunrises. Each one is a picture of the glory of God and His fresh mercies. At times they are hidden, to be received by faith. But at other times they are manifested clearly, even dramatically.

Isn't that also true about life?  Sometimes God manifests Himself in tangible ways, like in the love of a mother for her child, in an encouraging note from a friend, in a deep experience in prayer and worship.  But then at other times, His glory is obscured, as in the death of a loved one, the suffering of rejection, the struggles of financial need.  Then it is by faith we say, "I know that I know that...

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
Job 19:25 NIV

So here is my “take-away,”

God is unchangingly loving and merciful to me because that is who He is. But His mercies (His watch-care, His provision, His power, His presence, His intervention) do change “character.” They are uniquely fitted for me and my specific need for my day.

His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.
Lamentations 22:23 NASB 

What is it that you need today, my friend? What does this day hold for you? Remember your merciful, loving, glorious, unchanging God is there for you with His unique provision for your day. He Himself is really all you need. He will meet you with fresh mercies for whatever you may face today. Trust Him.

Sunrise Promise

The sunrise holds a message for all of us to hear.
There’s a promise in the new day
In the beauty that appears.

Even if the sky is dark with storm clouds, do not fear.
The sun still shines behind the clouds
And there the sky is clear.

Here’s the promise of the Lord
For every new day of the year,
“Whatever circumstance you’re weathering
God is always near."

            Penny Mandeville

Prayer

O Lord of the glorious rising sun, I receive You and Your glory and Your abundant mercies for this day. Even if the way is obscured, I’ll trust You to take my hand and lead me through. I know You are with me even when You are not obvious. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. In Your glory-filled Name. Amen.

Reflections

1. Set an alarm and get up early one morning and view a sunrise.  Enjoy the glory of God in its amazing magnificence or the glory of God in its magnificent obscurity. Remember,

...faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
 Hebrews 11:1 ESV

2. Journal what you see and what the Lord says to you through the sunrise. Are there “fresh mercies” you can receive for your day? Thank Him. Ask Him for what you need.

3. And no matter what kind of sunrise it is, let me know if you'd like to join my Sunrise Club...or better yet, my SONrise Club.    jan@abranchinthevine.com

John & Jan ON THE BEACH IN BELMAR NJ