The Pastor’s Blog – SUNRISE, SUNSET
As you look at a picture with a beautiful sun shining on the horizon, it is not always easy to tell if you are looking at a sunrise or a sunset. Is this the start of a new day, or the glorious conclusion of a day?
When going through challenging times, it may also be hard to decipher if this is a sunrise or a sunset. We wrestle with the question, “Is this the start of troubled times that will last awhile, or are the troubles coming to an end and better days are in sight?” Is that surgery the start of a lifelong journey of medical challenges, or will life be so much better after the surgery is over? Often we do not know the correct answer until we are on the other side.
Can I encourage you today with a thought about sunrises that never end, and sunsets that only lead to more glorious sunrises?
First, when we confess our sins and ask Jesus to forgive us, He also gives to us a wonderful gift: eternal life. Hear the words of Jesus to his followers:
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:28)
The moment we become followers of Jesus, accepting by faith the salvation He offers us through His sacrificial death, we gain eternal life. It starts now, for it is far more than just living forever (as wonderful as that is). It is about starting a relationship with the living God that lasts for eternity. So the day of our salvation is truly a glorious sunrise, followed by a day that will never end.
Secondly, we will have to transition some day from this world with its sickness and pain and suffering to our eternal home where there will be “be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:4). This means we all will pass through death, a sunset. But every sunset promises a new day will come, and we know that is true. Once we close our eyes in death, as we experience that sunset, the next thing we will know is a new and glorious day in heaven. There will be a sunrise. God has promised this for all who put their faith in Jesus!
– Pastor Gary