Beauty from Ashes

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised. Psalm 113:3


Scotts Bluff was spectacular tonight as the haloed, golden sun set in the west, in the midst of a blushing sky. The cloudless sky had been hazy all day, because the prevailing west winds nudged the smoke from the Colorado fires into western Nebraska's atmosphere. 

When I'm outside, enjoying God's creation, it's easy to forget that our world is still in the grips of turmoil. In the last few months, we have experienced numerous pandemic restrictions, and some of us have contracted Covid, or even lost a loved one due to this new Corona virus. Small businesses are struggling; a significant number of workers have lost their jobs. Schools have been disrupted, forcing teachers and students to find different ways to teach and learn. Travel has been drastically curtailed. Social distancing has become the new norm.

Over 50% of Nebraska is in the grips of a serious drought, threatening crops that have already been damaged by hail. And now, we are faced with unseasonable freezing temperatures and snow in early September. 

Much of the western US has been overcome with extreme heat and out of control fires. Our nation's cities have experienced riots and violent destruction. As the presidential election draws closer, tensions are increasing day by day, week by week. 

We've heard about locust infestations in Africa, early season hurricanes on our southeast coasts, typhoons on the other side of the world, horrific fires in far-away Australia.

Yet, through all of this unrest, we find that our God is still in the business of creating beauty from ashes. (See Isaiah 61.) None of this has taken him by surprise.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 
 Psalm 34:4

Just as devastating wildfires can generate stunning sunsets hundreds of miles away from the source, God is able to use all of this recent tumult to accomplish his purpose. He will draw people to himself, demonstrating his unfailing love to entitled people as he proves, yet again, that we really can't be totally self-sufficient. We really do need him.

They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.  Psalm 65:8






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