"The heavens declare the glory of God." (Psalm 19:1)
In their ever-changing beauty, the sunny days and starry nights show forth "the wondrous works of Him which is perfect in knowledge." (Job 37:16)
Nor does the firmament reveal Him only as a Being of infinite power, at the thought of whom the inhabitants of the earth should tremble. "Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and your faithfulness reaches unto the clouds." (Psalm 36:5) "Your faithfulness shall You establish in the very heavens." (Psalm 89:2)
So morning by morning as we rise from our sleep, and behold the rays of the sun once more, its beams bring the glad message that "the mercy of the Lord endures" still. What a blessed thought with which to begin the day! That which smites upon our eyelids in the summer mornings and gently calls us from slumber is the greeting of the heavens, bidding us be of good cheer, whatever the day may bring, for since God's mercy is over us still, "as your days, so shall your strength be." (Deuteronomy 33:25) "His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)
If we be conscious of unworthiness, of sinful deeds and stubborn hearts, still the sun shines even to us, and thereby we learn that the mercy and faithfulness which the heavens reveal, are not yet worn out for us. "He is kind unto the unthankful." (Luke 6:35) "He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good." (Matthew 5:45)
And therein, Christ taught, He loves them that hate Him.
Now when the sun gets on the horizon, may we think that the powers of darkness prevail, and the evidence of His faithfulness grows dim. But throughout the twenty-four hours He leaves not himself without witness. To those who fear that their way is hid from the Lord, and that His watch-care is withdrawn, He says: "Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these, that brings out their host by number: He calls them all by name; by the greatness of His might, and for that He is strong in power, not one is lacking." (Isaiah 40:26)
As far as the lights of heaven shine, so far goes the message of God's mercy. As unsearchable as the expanse of heaven is the length and breadth and height and depth of His infinite love; and as free as is the vision of God's glory to the eyes of men, is the free gift of "the righteousness [which is the glory of God], ... unto all and upon all them that believe." (Romans 3:22) "Thus says the Lord, which gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and stars for a light by night. ... If those ordinances depart from before me, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done." (Jeremiah 31:35-37) "They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Romans 9:8)
Those who have believed God's promise and trust Him for salvation, need never fear that He will suffer His faithfulness to fail, nor alter the thing that is gone out of His lips, (Psalm 89:33-34) so long as they can see the sun and moon in the heavens; for "His seed shall endure for ever, and His throne as the sun beforeme. It shall be established for ever as the moon." (Psalm 89:36-37)
Then so long as men have reason to think that the morning will bring them the sunlight, and night be made beautiful with stars, they have no less reason to be confident that He whom they have believed, will keep that which they have committed unto Him.--Present Truth, July 7, 1898.