“But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:21-23 ESV)

The fact that these verses are found in the middle of a book whose title, Lamentations, means “funeral songs” speaks volumes. In the midst of seemingly unbearable sorrow, Jeremiah never took his eyes off the Lord in whom he found hope and comfort. Even as the smoke was still rising from the ashes of Jerusalem, he chose to focus on God’s unfailing love, compassion, mercy, and faithfulness.

These verses immediately sprang to mind yesterday morning as I gazed out my back door. Through the years, I have witnessed many awe-inspiring sunsets over the mountains to the west of our home, but rarely have I witnessed such a breathtaking sunrise.

My limited photography skills and equipment prevented me from adequately capturing the matchless beauty of the full moon nestled over the mountains with the morning mists settled in the valley below, while the first rays of the sunrise painted the sky pink as they kissed the peaks of the Blue Ridge. Nor are my writing skills adequate to convey the impact of that celestial scene on my heart.

In Psalm 19:1, David writes, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (NIV)  I am richly blessed to live where God’s handiwork is on constant display just outside my back door. On a cloudless night, I can gaze up at the stars and sense that our universe, like its designer, is mysteriously infinite and in many ways beyond my comprehension. And yet, as daylight approaches, scenes like this continually remind me that my Creator is also close, like an enveloping blanket.

While our world at times seems like it is coming apart at the seams, those first rays of dawn remind me every morning that I worship a God who is perfect in his love, infinite in his wisdom, sovereign in his control, and as faithful as the sunrise. How can anyone not trust a God like that?

“Summer and winter and springtime and harvest; Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above; Join with all nature in manifold witness, To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.” – Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm