From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised! Psalm 113:3
Summertime, and the livin' is easy.
There are those people I know who find the long days of the summer sun one of their greatest pleasures.
They might be pleased to know that Peter the Great of Russia shared their enjoyment. When he saw the sunrise, he expressed his wonder that men should be so foolish as not to rise every morning to see one of the most glorious sights in the universe.
The Tsar said, "They delight in gazing on a picture, the trifling work of a mortal, and at the same time neglect one painted by the hand of God Himself."
On some summer mornings, I get up a little earlier to see the sunrise and I've concluded Peter was right. Other than a spectacular sunset, there's not much in this world which can compare with that magnificent spectacle.
Indeed, I can only think of one sight that should please all of humanity more. That sight of course, would be the sunrise which took place the day Jesus rose from the grave.
Imagine going to the tomb to pay your final respects to a dead Rabbi and finding an empty grave which could not hold the living Redeemer. What a glorious sight that must have been.
A true "Sonrise."
A "Sonrise" which, like our daily dawnings could not spring from the hands of a mere mortal, no matter how talented he might be.
Only the hand of God Himself could be responsible for that wonderful day which changed our lives and our eternities.
By God's grace may you enjoy and live in the beauty and magnificence of these joyful risings of the Son (sun).
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son to die for my sins. Because He rose from the grave and conquered death, I can rejoice in Your promise of eternal life for all who believe in Him. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 119:89-176 2 Thessalonians 1
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"