I love these long summer days. The Creator of the universe creates the beauty of 16 hours of sunlight at the peak of the summer. The blue skies are breathtaking! The green landscape is beautiful. The flowers are blooming! I love the sun! Many years ago our family lived much farther north for a few years. There, it was light 18 hours a day! But after the long summer days came long winter days with much shorter periods of light. During those long winter days, I used to have to wake up and sing a song in my heart each day…
I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way…
Its going to be a bright, bright, bright sunshiny day
It’s going to be a bright, bright, bright sunshiny day*
Every day when I got up in the dark, that was my song. As I reflect on the times we are living in now, they remind me of those long dark days. I love when life is predictable, but lately, it feels like we are living in a time when predictability has gone on vacation. Gone are the times we could gather with family and friends and not worry about COVID infection; we could vote in an election not worry about the stability of democracy; we could gather to watch the fireworks and not worry about shootings. We could plan a vacation and not have to worry about wildfires – in London no less. The times we are living in have us all carrying around extra levels of stress. I find myself asking, “What in the world is happening?” “How am I to navigate now?” So I ask God those questions and He reminds me that although we live in a fallen world and sin is rampant, that’s not the end of the story.
I sent a redeemer, Jesus. My son!
Keep your eyes on Him.
While you love the sun, your focus should be on my Son, Jesus!
Seasons change but the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit remain the same! God’s creation is very predictable. We can depend on the sun rising and setting each day. We can depend on the moon and the stars in the sky at night. As I write this, we eagerly await the birth of our first grandchild, and as God wills, we can depend on a precious baby being born nine months after conception. God’s creation is very predictable!
We can also depend on the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus bringing salvation to all who put their trust in Him. God’s plan for creation is very predictable. It’s all recorded in the Bible. I find solace in scripture which says,
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Rom 1:20
We can see the presence of God show up each day. From the time we raise our heads to the time we go to sleep, He is here! So the question is where is my focus? Is my focus on God’s eternal power and divine nature? As I focus more on his divine nature and eternal power, the cares of this world grow smaller and awareness of his presence and his awesome power grows larger.
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3
His divine power is with us and gives us everything we need for a godly life as we learn more about who He is, how much He loves us, how much He is protecting us from unseen dangers, and how much He is calling us. So the question is where is my focus? Am I seeking to know more of Christ? Am I seeking to know the one who is calling me by name to provide all I need?
Focus and dependence on God brings a new perspective. It brings a new level of hope. If He created the world and keeps the sun rising and setting at its prescribed times each day, surely the problems all around us are not too difficult for God. Philippians 4:13 reminds us, I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Do you know Christ as your savior? Have you placed your trust in Him when the days seem dark? He loves you with everlasting love and will provide all you need! It’s as simple as texting “Save me” to 97000 and someone will be there to pray with you to know Jesus as your savior.
Take heart when the days seem dark or things around you are not easy to understand. It’s not the presence of the sun; it’s trust in His Son, Jesus, who will provide all you need. God’s divine power is at work and you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength! Let’s all remember to keep our focus on Jesus!
* “I Can See Clearly Now,” by Johnny Nash
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