I don’t know about you, but something about watching a sunrise sets my soul on fire. I used to live completely oblivious to it. I was entirely too rushed and distracted to notice the masterpiece unfolding each new day. But my Mama? She noticed!
For years, for her birthday, I took her to the coast, her favorite place on earth. She never required extravagance, only this: “Can the room face the sunrise?”
Every morning before daylight, Mama slipped onto that balcony with her Bible in hand and began singing praises to her Lord while the sky awakened around her. She tried not to wake me, but I’d lie half-awake hearing her worship drift through the room and into my heart. Those moments shaped me far more than I understood at the time.
At least once during each trip, I dragged my sleepy self out of bed early to sit beside her and watch the horizon catch fire. Every single time, Mama would watch like she was seeing a miracle.
Maybe she was. After she passed away, something shifted in me. Now every sunrise feels sacred.
Sometimes when the sky begins glowing brilliant gold and crimson, I feel her near. Maybe it’s because she taught me how to stop long enough to notice the glory of God shining through creation.
The older I get, the more those dawning moments take my breath away.
Recently, I stood on a balcony in Jerusalem watching the sun rise over that ancient city, morning after morning. Light spilled across sacred ground while the city slowly awakened. I stood, so overwhelmed by the greatness and steadiness of God—as if seeing daybreak for the first time.
This God who spoke light into existence is the Same God that faithfully continues telling the sun when to appear each morning. Long before I arrived, He was bringing light to life. Long after I’m gone, the power of His Hand will still be holding all things together.
Creation reminds us that God does nothing haphazardly. This Magnificent God stays steady, ever giving, through all He created.
As I witnessed that Jerusalem sunrise, I wondered…what if the God who paints every sunrise feels the same delight when He looks at you?”
Scripture says we are His workmanship. Some translations say we are His masterpiece; others, His poetry. (Ephesians 2:10) Think about that. The God who paints the Heavens at dawn also formed you with meticulous care. (WHOA!)
Psalm 139 says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” In Hebrew, that “wonderfully” carries the idea of being distinct and uniquely crafted. In other words, God made nobody else exactly like you. No one else carries your exact story. No one else possesses your voice or your unique design!
So why do we spend our lives comparing ourselves to others and wishing we were more like them? When we do, we diminish what God intentionally designed. We inadvertently apologize for our uniqueness instead of stewarding it, focusing on our flaws while Heaven focuses on our purpose.
Friend, hear me! The God who delights in the beauty of a sunrise greatly delights in YOU!
Even when you drop the ball…when shame whispers you are not enough…God sees value where you see weakness. He sees purpose where you see limitation.
He looks at you with the loving eyes of a Father who has never once regretted creating you. (Did you just hear that?!!)
Maybe this is why sunrises move us so deeply. Every dawn quietly reminds us that God is still creating beauty…even after long nights.
So, stop measuring your worth against everyone else, disqualifying yourself because of misplaced insecurity. Stop talking yourself out of the value God Himself placed within you.
The Creator of Heaven and Earth knows you fully and delights in you completely.
Start seeing yourself through His eyes too!!!!
For comments or prayer, contact Dr. Lanier at www.HopeCommunityChurch.tv.
