Friends
On these beautiful spring mornings, I am back on my front porch, nibbling on my breakfast, sipping my hot tea. I have a front row seat for the sunrise, and it never fails to bring a smile to my face. As I rock and reflect, I can’t help but marvel at the beauty of creation all around me. In these front porch moments, there is peace, there is joy, and there is the blessed assurance of God’s great grace.
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“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”
Psalm 19:1-2 – NIV
Rocking in my glider on the front porch, I watch the world wake up. The birds are fluttering in the trees, dashing from one branch to another, singing their morning tunes, offering a cacophony of joyful sound.
The faint glow on the horizon reveals the smoky gray of a sky covered in thick puffy clouds. With a note of disappointment, I conclude that there will be no pleasant sunny rays to warm my bones as I settle into my morning perch.
As if to defy the gloomy gray of the dawning sky, the birds enhance their volume. My fluttering friends are ready for a new day. Sunny or cloudy, nothing seems to squelch their enthusiasm. I smile and wish I was so easy going. I much prefer sunshine.
Somehow reading my thoughts, the sky offers a surprise. The puffy clouds begin to part, as if to make way for a grand entrance. On cue, with a dramatic flourish, the sun makes its morning debut, golden rays spilling out from behind the dark curtain of gray clouds. The dawn is transformed. The gloom of a few moments before gives way to splendid sunshine that fills the porch with a radiant glow.
As I sit there smiling, sunshine warming my face, I am reminded of God’s grace. The drama of that dawning sky offers a testimony to God’s great grace.
How many days do we awaken to the gloominess of our problems? We live in uncertain times. Our lives are filled with hardships. Sickness, sorrow, and loss pound away at our peace. Day after day, we awake to the dark puffy clouds of our troubles, unable to escape the deepening gloom hovering above our heads.
Just when we feel like giving up, when our hearts are broken and our resolve shattered, God’s grace shows up. Grace shows up in the smile of a toddler, in the bloom of a flower, in the words of a friend. Comfort is given. Reassurance calms fears. Hope is renewed. Sunshine peeks out from behind the clouds. Our troubled life is transformed by the touch of the Master’s hand.
Today, storm clouds may be gathering on your horizon. Your soul may be drenched in sorrow. Fear may be battering against your resolve. It’s all too much to handle. You cannot face this onslaught alone. But that’s just it. You don’t have to go it alone. God will face the hardships with you, strengthening you through the storms, equipping you to weather the pounding rains. That’s His grace, and no matter where we are or what we face, His grace finds us.
God’s grace is all around us. It’s in the flowers, in the trees. It’s in the birdsong. It’s in the people He puts in our path.
His grace finds us wherever we are. We may be soaring high in the sky and His joy soars with us. We may be dwelling in the depths of despair and His comfort envelops us. Wherever we are, whatever we face, His grace prevails.
Let the sunrise remind you of His grace. Let the birds’ merriment bring a smile to your face. For we are loved. We are forgiven. We are not alone.
Though the dark clouds loom above us, they will not last forever. For His grace is sufficient for each and every day, and when we least expect it, God will bring the sunshine once again.
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“In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.”
Psalm 19:4b-6 – NIV
PRAYER
O Heavenly Father, we give You praise for the beauty of Your creation. Your glory is proclaimed in the golden rays of the sunrise, in the gentle breeze that stirs the leaves, in the morning birdsong. Your grace is with us wherever we go, whatever awaits us. It is sufficient. It is unfailing. Your grace renews us when we lose heart, when we face trouble. Your grace restores us, strengthens us, gives us hope. We are so grateful for Your grace.
In the Glorious Name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Easter Blessings,
Anita
-APS 4/28/2025
Faith Beyond Sight 