Promises like the Rising Sun

​One of my great joys is watching the sunrise from our east-facing bedroom window.  It is always unique and can be counted on to give me an outstanding display of beauty as it rises.  The changing eastern sky pulls me in as I watch the deep orange-red line of light close to the horizon change.  Next the sky is touched by pinkish-orange, wispy clouds.  Eventually, the orange sun rises in the sky to become a golden white, radiant ball ready to send its warm rays to earth.  My soul is soothed as I remember the faithfulness of God.  He never changes! He is dependable and always shows up at the right time just like the sun.
 
The Bible is filled with God's promises that bring us assurance of His presence and action on our behalf.  A "go-to" Scripture that reminds me of the faithfulness of God gives us these instructions:  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)  This is such a word for our season!  It is extremely difficult to understand what is happening in our days and easy to get discouraged by the bad reports that come to us daily.  But discouragement is not our portion.  God told the Israelites, "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)
 
It is critical that our trust in the Lord is solid.  Look at Psalm 125:  "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endure forever.  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore.  The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.  Lord, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart.  But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers.  Peace be on Israel!"  We must hold on to God's promises.  As He has been faithful to Israel, He will be faithful to us.  As the sun rises in the eastern sky, the Son rises to our defense.  He is trustworthy!
 
Remember that we are heirs to the promises of God and that the Lord confirmed His promises with an oath.  He holds out hope to us so that we may be encouraged.  Hebrew 6:19 tells us, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure..."  We are assured by the Lord that "hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." (Romans 5:5)  Isaiah prophesied to Israel:  "...You will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed."  (Isaiah 49:23)  Let the assurance of the rising sun give us hope and remind us of the Son's position on our behalf.
 
The Lord is known for His faithfulness.  The prophet Jeremiah writes during a time of great turmoil and affliction:  "...My soul is downcast within me.  Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:  Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for Him.'" (Lamentations 3:20-24)  We can count on the faithfulness of the Lord just as we count on the rising of the sun each morning.    
 
The bottom line is that we need to let the peace of the Lord fill us.  Here is a promise from Isaiah 26:3 that we should grab hold of:  "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You."  Later in the book of Isaiah there is another promise of peace:  "'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10)
 
It is time for us to focus on God's promises rather than the world's problems.  Begin the new year by declaring the Lord's promises of trustworthiness and hope.  Let's allow His peace to settle on us and our hope to rise just as the sun rises every morning without fail.