& Trust.

On a Sunday morning, I woke suddenly and let my blurry eyes focus on the clock: 5:45 AM. I let my head sink back into the pillow as I consciously remembered it wasn’t a workday. Hallelujah. Yet, my mind was just buzzing and typically, five forty-five would be a normal waking time for me, so I consigned myself to turning the coffee on, opening the blinds, and listening to some music.

I am a morning person. I always have been and as one, sunrises are the greeting to my day. The sun was starting to make its entrance along the horizon in our northern city, by this time, with a thin band of pastel pink peeked. The forecast had foreboded cloudy weather and right on cue, a blanketing front of deep gray pulled in, slowly minimizing the vivid approach of sunlight. The city lights shone that much more brightly again and the dreariness of the early morning returned like a cellist’s resolve after the orchestra has had its moment.

But, then as if the mournful low vibrations of the strings had softened the jealous veneer of cloud, the higher altitude winds rolled back the covers, revealing soft yellow light. Where once the grays painted the streets and houses, now suddenly a soft, pale glow cast itself across the landscape. Now, the lampposts seemed out of place, their false copper light mechanical and austere. I waited, almost breathless; to see if the clouds would return, but mauve and pink hues decorated what was left of the remaining whiffs...

I wrote these above descriptions in real time. I was thinking of the metaphor of the gray clouds coming in and I resolving to the fact that the forecast did call for a cloudy day. Yet, as I was mid sentence in sighing out a conclusion, I looked out my morning window and it was almost illusion like how the thick clouds had suddenly broken and were being hurried away. I now look outside and see the triumph of a morning dawn painting the sky fierce corals and purples. The street lamps have just turned off and the glorious light of the sun has taken over. I love when the sunrise wins.

I, in the viewers seat, so want to dictate the outcomes of life to what I wish them to be. Like a spectator in the stands thinking: “if I cheer and cross my fingers and tap my right shoulder three times after every pass” that will affect the outcome. How human of us to have this less-than-mediocre hope. But, we have true hope. And how many times do we walk into uncontrollable situations, only holding the small, but mighty hand of hope?

The verse in Psalms 46:10 whispers, “Be still and know that I AM God” (NIV). In some other translations the same passage says, “Cease striving and know that I am God” (NASB). I hold no power, no claim, no ability to snap my fingers and change the outcome of something so majestic as a sunrise, but I fortunately know the painter of it, and He, in some amazing way, knows my heart. He knows what I desire because I let Him know what I desire: “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” Psalms 37:4 (NIV).

The Psalmist scribed these two verses out of two similar places in life. Psalm 46:10 came in context of encouraging us to have hope and trust in the Lord in the lowest and most difficult trials we would ever have to face. King David’s battles and victories against those around him came from resting in God when things looked grim and threatening. When nations attack each other, they ultimately desire to take down the identity of that place and write their own identity over it. How many times have I been in that place where depression, offense, weariness, fear, and pain want to write their names over mine? How many times have I been in that place where the blanketing gray clouds come to blot out the rays of joy and peace? And how many times have I consented to agree with them? The Psalmist goes on to write that regardless out what we see, God will have His glory and we need to reassure ourselves of that and know beyond any cloudy doubt or imposing viewpoint, that God is God.

In a similar way, the hope and promise in Psalms 37:4 comes from a place where the experience and beholding of evil and wrongdoing is everywhere. Trust! The writer declares, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture”. Even though all this negativity and uncertainty battles around you for your attentions, choose to trust and do good things, regardless. Make your home, your thoughts, your intentions, your comings and goings about the Lord and following His ways. In this, as you take delight in God, you will come to know what His heart is about and in this, His desires will become your desires! Verse five in the chapter says, “Commit your ways to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do this.” What does this look like? “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil” (Ps. 37:9). Don’t give into the temptation of taking the common road where you will find company in gossip and slander. Don’t buy into second best and succumb to a “woe-is-me” mentality. Even if you are poor and needy, “better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous” (v. 16-17).

Just read all of Psalm 37 and know that salvation is rising like the sun. God won’t leave you to deliver yourself! He is God, characterized again and again, as that mighty warrior who rescues and saves, who comes out of nowhere like a strong wind and pushes back any heavy cloud covering, any storm, any fear or worry, and any trouble. You will know that it was God because you took refuge in Him, you placed your hope in Him, and just like the sun that is rising right now and filling my eyes with warmth, He will come and fascinate your eyes, filling you with wonder and awe. He loves you. He is your salvation. No amount of money, no diet, no game, no lover, no pastor, no good teaching or writing can compare to being still and knowing that God is here with you right now and whispers, “I love you.”

God, right now in this moment, I say, I love You. I desire You. Fill my eyes so when I look, I see You. Fill my ears, so when I hear, I listen to Your voice. Fill my mouth, so when I speak, my words are actually Your words. Fill my mind and heart, so when I think and feel, I reflect Your truth. Fill my hands and feet with selfless obedience in order to show others Your love. Fill my cup to overflowing and when it is emptied, fill my life with desire for more of You.

The sun rose past the break of the dawn, and shadows began to shrink and darkness began to be exposed. Yes, today has begun. Embrace it.