Artistry
“They who dwell at the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and sunset shout for joy.” (Psalm 65:8)
There is just something about the rising and the setting of our closest star that brings a sense of comfort and peace to our lives. The promise of a brand new yet to be written day that a sunrise brings is special in the anticipation and wonder as we watch it crack the horizon all at once slowly yet all too quickly with the light changing from dark to the first hint of light then hints of pink and orange in those seconds before the fiery ball some 93 million miles away bursts forth in a blaze of light and warmth and colors on the sky. The atmosphere in the early morning is usually at its calmest and coldest, giving an air of wonder in the mist that allows one to have beautiful moments of solitude and quiet reflection if the effort has been made to rise early and reap these rewards.
For the sunset it is equally glorious and yet different as it is not about the promise of a day to come but of a day that is closing that cannot be revisited or changed. What has happened has happened and what is done is done so it is up to us to allow that page to close and thank God for the blessings He has given, or the grace provided in the midst of any challenges that have been navigated. As with the sunrise, the sun seems to dip slowly and yet quickly as it seems to accelerate as it nears the horizon. The colors of the sky take the opposite journey going from bright day into hints of pink and orange and then seeming to grow even brighter at times in those few moments immediately following the last glimpse of the sun as it slips out of view.
Taking time out in life…
What draws us as humans to almost universally pause our busy lives for a moment when presented with the gift of a beautiful sunrise or sunset? What is the glory or more properly “whose” glory are we seeing? I believe that the Psalmist in this Psalm might have been pausing to contemplate an ancient sunset himself when this was penned. Notice that he pointed out that we who dwell on the earth pause and stand in awe! We cannot help but to stop to take it in. I have also observed in watching people taking in a sunrise or sunset tend to be silent in those moments. As the Psalmist points out the only shouting going on is the dawn and the sunset themselves. The very creation is shouting joy to God and we are silenced.
I hope that this post today has been encouraging to you in your own journey and possibly encouraged you to take the time to stop and take in a beautiful sunrise or sunset and when you do let the sky do the shouting and stand quietly before your God in awe of His signs.
Ken
Psalm 8:3-9
