"Dawn"

They say it is the darkest,

Right before the dawn,

And I have been up early,

To see if they are wrong.

Before the birds start singing,

The dark seems silent then,

Maybe there’s a rustle,

In the leaves some critter’s in.

But mostly it’s just quiet,

They’re right, it’s mighty dark,

And then way over in the east,

You’ll see a little spark,

Of light as morning happens,

And the darkness goes away,

And rising with the sunlight,

Is grace to face the day.

Those early morning moments,

Have meant a lot to me,

Right before the sunlight,

As dark as dark can be.

And the promise of the Savior,

We’ve known it for so long,

That He is always with us,

And with the daily dawn,

Comes new strength for the journey,

New doors He’ll lead us through,

Grace makes the assignment,

What He’s calling us to do.

So do not fear the darkness,

‘Cause in the darkest night,

We are in the grip of grace,

And we will be all right.

The light of day is coming,

We wake up from our sleep,

And all that we’ve entrusted,

He promises He’ll keep.

So get that pony saddled,

There’s cowboy work to do,

Jesus is the Lord of light,

And our whole lives, it’s true.

And, yes, it is the darkest,

Just before the dawn,

Look up, the sun is rising,

And thankful is its song.

“…His mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:23, NLT)

Without mercy where would be be? Until we get to heaven we’ll never understand the full measure of God’s mercy. And yet, day to day, there it is. We don’t just receive mercy to justify us and bring us into a personal relationship with Him. That’s just the beginning! What follows is mercy that is provided on a daily basis. It was there all along, but now that we’re saved we cooperate with it and rely on it to meet life’s challenges and maximize life’s opportunities. Mercy is what gives us relief for the past and hope for the future, and everyday should be a celebration of His grace. When the sun comes up, mercy rises with it. Praise the Lord.

Lord, help us receive and share Your mercy, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bruce Greene, brucegreeneart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bruce, and God bless you.