We have had some beautiful sunsets here in Tennessee these past few weeks. People have been posting pictures on Facebook and Twitter. They have been talking about them at the football games, soccer practices, and even the days after-the-fact. As I was agreeing with everyone on the beauty of each evening and the surprise we encountered each time, I began to marvel at the creativity of God. He gives us His love for art when He, Himself, creates a sunset every night.

What I didn’t expect was what I saw this week. I was awake early this particular morning and was very tired. I decided to run some errands, which included a Starbucks, and I was greeted with the sunrise. I came to a clearing in the road and knew I had to take a picture. And, this is the picture you see. It was a perfect bookend to the beautiful sunsets we’d been experiencing.

Suddenly, I remembered the line, “Morning by morning new mercies I see,” from the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. What’s better, though, is this hymn is based on a Bible verse.

Lamentations 3:22-23: “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” (NASB)

The Message states it this way: “God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness!”

And, there it was…my “Aha” moment. God shows us how much He cares each and every day simply by expressing Himself in the sunrises and the sunsets. He’s there (faithfulness) every morning and providing mercy (compassion) on the very people He loves. We only see this view of His faithfulness for a few minutes each day, but that doesn’t mean He goes away when the sunrise and sunset are no longer visible. When we no longer see them, people on different parts of the earth are seeing His creativity.

It goes deeper than this, though, because God doesn’t leave us. Just because we don’t see Him in one avenue doesn’t mean He’s not up to something else. Both the sunrise and the sunset are based on the sun: God’s little light.

“This little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine”.

God’s little light. Shining on us. Providing for us. God’s faithfulness to “not let Satan blow it out”.

Realize this: God is victorious. God is everywhere and all around. Just because you weren’t up early and didn’t see God in the same way I saw Him, doesn’t mean you haven’t seen Him today. Just because you can’t see the sun because of the clouds doesn’t mean it’s not there. Similarly, just because you can’t see God doesn’t mean He’s not there.

The question we must ask ourselves is this: “Am I ‘awake’ to see Him?”

He is drawing His love all over the sky day-in-and-day-out. He’s our great light. He shows up all around us. He is in the gentle breeze that blows. He desires to show Himself to you each and every day…morning by morning.

He loves you. He is ever faithful. Thanks be to God!

Time to wake up. What’s holding you back?