THE PROMISE OF A BRIGHT NEW DAY
Psalm 34:17
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The morning broke slowly and the dampness in the air sent a chill through me. It was hard to tell when dark ended and daylight started. Finally after what seemed like hours, the cloak of the pre-dawn haze disappeared and gave way to something amazing. A light fresh snow covered open ground and hung on every leaf and needle of the trees in the valleys and ridges. It was breath taking.
As I watched the sun illuminate the ridge, above the food plot I was hunting, it struck me… there are times when things look so dark, gloomy and hopeless and yet God has something beautiful, that in His perfect timing He will reveal for our lives.
The first snow of the year is always beautiful and exciting for me, but the down side is that it is a sign of upcoming winter. Sometimes the emotional season of winter comes on us with a crashing blow, unexpected and cold, like a blanket of ice that smothers any warmth in our hearts. We’ve all gone through periods in our lives when our heart has grown cold or has been broken.
There’s an old saying that says, “only time can heal a broken heart”. I believe, that actually, only the Lord can heal and warm cold, broken and crushed hearts. Jesus had lived through a life of rejection and brokenness and He understands. He came to save the lost and was killed because of it. He came unto his own, and his own received him not (John 1:11).
That beautiful morning started out dark, damp dreary and God showed me a beauty that I hadn’t expected. He showed me how He can turn a ugly situation into something beautiful. Something pure and white, with a background of beautiful colors… There really isn't anything like the first snow fall, which leaves the ground a fluffy pure white, free from any dirt or debris. Immediately, my mood shifted from one of discouragement and depression, to one of awe for what God can do with any situation.
Are you struggling with loss, discouragement or depression? Have you come under attack? Does your future look hopeless and dark? Remember that God has something beautiful in store for our lives. If we give Him the darkness, He can turn it around. If we allow Him the leadership and control of our hearts, there will be beauty in the new breaking sunrise.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 The LORD’S acts of mercy indeed do not end, For His compassions do not fail.
23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
There is hope in the breaking of a new day… a beauty that God has in store for your life. Allow Him to lead you into a bright and beautiful new place today.
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