Visit the East Coast of the United States and stay a week or two or three. Reside right on the shore, and plan to be there long enough to catch the sunrise on a clear morning. The ocean does something to the sky, and as the rising sun lifts the lid of the night, we see the magic that a sunrise can be.
The edge of the sky turns pink and orange and red, flashing across the horizon in a brilliance rarely seen over land. No clouds are necessary. It just does it. Then, it’s gone. With an ocean sunrise, we have to catch it while we can, because it’s beautiful for a moment, then the day takes over, and all we have is the memory.
We know, though, that the memory is real, and we'll see our sunrise over and over if we're there to look for it.
Revelation 1:8 says:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
God is the beautiful sunrise that flashes across the horizon, aweing us with his power and glory, then fading into the background so that we can get on with our day. How useful would our lives be if all we did was stare at the sun for twelve hours a day? Only when the beauty eases can we look away and see all the things we need to put our hands to. Only then are we useful for God’s work.
James 2:19 tells us:
“You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
God’s sunrise, there and gone each morning, is our reminder that he's the awesome King, the mighty God, and the overcoming Redeemer. He speaks, and the evil one and his minions cower and obey. It's as if he stands on the lip of the world, he slams his scepter into the sea, and his power rushes out in a blast of pink, orange, and red to say, “This is your daily reminder, World. I am the great and powerful Creator of all that exists. Notice me!” Then he steps into the background so that we can get on about our business.
Hebrews 1:3 confirms this:
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
Jesus came, he shook the world by the scruff of its neck, and humanity sat up and took notice. However, Jesus was filled with the glory of God, and that was very distracting to those he came into contact with. They either accepted it and were mesmerized on a daily basis, or they rejected it, and they were aroused to an untold fury and tried to destroy him. Either way, Jesus knew he must choose the path of the sunrise. He said, “I’ve reminded you I’m here, and now I’ll step away so you can refocus on living day to day. But don’t forget: tomorrow, same time, same place. I’ll rise again.”
God is the sun that brings us life every day. We live our lives underneath the power of his awesome presence. However, if we sat awed by the sunrise every waking moment, who would farm the fields, put roofs over our children’s heads, and reach out to the lost? When we cry out, “Where did you go, God?” he’s there, just like the sun in the sky, providing for us, warming us, and part of every day. If we look up, we’ll find him. And if we step outside at the blackest moment in the night, just when we think we can’t take any more, he’ll come over the horizon in a blaze of glory, reminding us just for a moment that his glory is the most amazing thing this world has ever seen.
When the awe-inspiring beauty of the sunrise fades, the sun hasn’t gone anywhere. When the inrush of God’s presence slips into the rhythms of daily life, he hasn’t disappeared. He’s just letting us get on with the day. We’ll find him again. All we need to do is look up.
We can trace God’s goodness from morning to night, but his true beauty comes in the dawn.
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