26 days ago I decided I would put God to the test. I needed to know that he would meet me with His truth … every single day, despite the extra distractions of a busy holiday season. I needed to know that as I walked through the season of Advent he would prepare my heart in a way that would help me believe he loved me, believe that he was relevant to my life, believe that time seeking him was worth it. I had no idea how I would monitor this… until day 1. I woke up with 2 goals each day.
1. Open up my bible app on my phone to the verse of the day. I guessed it would be a verse pointing to some part of the Christmas story. Read the verse in several versions and journal what God revealed to me in my private notebook.
2. Take a picture of the sun rising over our back yard field at approximately the same time each morning. I had no idea how goal 2 would impact goal 1.
On the morning of day 1 – I did what I always do. Started my coffee, took my probiotics and settled in with my bible app ( biblegateway.com) and my journal. And God showed up. He clearly connected his word with my life… and as many extroverts do… I shared with my friends on social media. Then I snapped a picture of the sunrise.
The social media feed format, the length, the everything was birthed on day 1 – the day I set out to test God. Each morning he met me in his word – gave me a new thought, a new perspective and I shared. I went to bed each night anticipating what his message would be the next day. Both in the communication from his word and his creation.
It wasn’t until day 19 when I understood why I was taking pictures of the sunrises. I have taken dozens of these pictures in the 3 years we’ve lived in our home… but never 25 consecutive days. Here are 11 of my 25 shots…..all from the deck of our Sandia Street Home.
Despite each day looking different – there was one constant. The sun. It ALWAYS came up. Every day for 25 consecutive days – it rose. I have the phone full of pictures to prove it. This didn’t surprise me … I knew it would rise… it wasn’t too much of a stretch for me to ask God to prove this aspect of his glory… but Day 19… Day 19 he showed me why I had been moved to document the east glowing sky….
Day 19…. the verse of the day..Luke 1:76-78 Zechariah is speaking over his new born son John… “And to you I prophesy my little son, you will be known as the prophet of the glorious God. For you will be a fore runner going before the face of the Master, Jesus, to prepare hearts to embrace his ways. You will preach to his people the revelation of Salvation life, the cancellation of all our sins, to bring us back to God.
The splendor light of heaven’s ….
GLORIOUS SUNRISE…. is about the break upon us in holy visitation, all because the merciful heart of our God is so….
very …
tender.. “
Jesus – our GLORIOUS SUNRISE. Oh My.
Never in my life had I heard of our savior described as our GLORIOUS SUNRISE.
Jesus the one who I believed urged me to “test him on this” made clear his presence in his WORD and CREATION. He introduced himself with an entirely new title… GLORIOUS SUNRISE. Is there any wonder that we are all so drawn to the beauty of dawn? Is there any mistake where the awe comes when we stop our car to capture the beauty of a new day?
We are promised that God left himself in the pages of his word – the bible and his Holy Spirit to make himself known. I believe he wants to be clear to us, that he can teach us wether we are sitting in a church pew or on a gymnasium bleacher, or on a tractor, or in a business meeting, or in a hospital room or a family Christmas gathering. There are times that his revelation is glorious and inspiring and other times that it is clouded by tragedy and despair… but he is still there. Constant. Reliable. For All. Just like the Sunrise.
I look back on the time spent seeking God these last 25 days. There is no one that grew more from his daily messages to me than ….me. I am grateful for those of you that shared the message he shared with me impacted you as well. It is a reminder of how God desires his truth to be known… no matter what the media, no matter who the voice.
As we settle in to the ending of a year, a decade… I want to invite you to the test. I challenge you to ask God to show himself to you. I encourage you to expectantly seek him.. daily. What I love so much is that the love that he has for you is already there. It is not dependent on you deciding to begin the pursuit of him. It’s not dependent on what you’ve done in your past or what you promise to do in your future. Its there.. ready.. willing.. to show up, to shine … to bring light to your darkness…. Just like the sunrise.
Come Lord Jesus. Come.
Campfires and Marshmallows 
His mercies every morning!
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