From Sunrise to Sunset

“My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

Malachi 1:11 (NIV)

I am so excited that you have chosen to participate in this study! I believe that wherever you are in life right now—whatever your circumstances may be—God wants to remind you of His never-ending faithfulness and love for you. He wants to encourage you that good things are on the way…and that you have a reason to hope.

The sunrise is such a perfect symbol of God’s faithfulness. We can count on it every single day. Even if it’s cloudy—even when we can’t see it—we know it’s there. And just as the sun rises and sets without fail, it’s a constant reminder of God’s goodness that will never fail us.

Maybe some things in your life are shaking right now. Perhaps you’re facing some difficult things and life seems a little “cloudy.” The good news is that God is right here with you and nothing is too big for Him to handle. And even in the midst of what you’re going through, God wants you to remain filled with hope that He is in control and things will get better.

What is hope? Hope is the confident expectation that something good is going to happen. It’s closely related to our faith and what we believe. When we dare to hope, it floods our life with joy and peace.

The enemy wants us to be hope-less. He wants to convince us that our best days are behind us and nothing will ever turn out right. But God wants us to be full of hope—believing, expecting, and anticipating great things from Him.

There was a time when I would let negative circumstances—mistakes, disappointments, or setbacks—ruin tomorrow. If I missed an opportunity, I was sure that I messed up God’s plan. However, the Lord helped me to change my attitude. Instead of focusing on the negative thing that happened, God helped me to focus on the good things He can do in the future. He helped me to see the hope that’s on the horizon!

It’s no coincidence that our time is divided into 24-hour increments. God gives us new opportunities each and every morning to start fresh! It’s a chance to begin again—to try again, hope again, and watch Him do something we never expected.

Psalm 30:5 (NIV) says, …Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) encourages us that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning….

You see, regardless of what happened yesterday, last week, or last year, today is a new day! God is working behind the scenes to help you, and He wants to amaze you with His goodness and faithfulness.

In fact, I’ve discovered that God’s Plan B is often better than Plan A could have ever been. Even when someone else or an unforeseen circumstance affects our lives, God promises to take the negative things that happen and use it for our good (Romans 8:28).

In Joel 2:25, God says, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…” (NIV). And in Isaiah 61:7 (NIV), He tells us, Instead of your former shame, you will receive a double portion.... With God, no one can ever truly take anything away from you. If you will trust Him, He can take a bad situation and make it up to you.

I encourage you to look at each day as a chance to start again. When you wake up, declare things like, “This is the day the Lord has made—I will rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24). As the sun rises each day, choose to also let God’s hope rise up in your heart, knowing that He has a future filled with good things in store for you.

Prayer Starter: “Father, thank You that each day is a new opportunity to start fresh! Help me, in a greater way than ever before, to view this day and my future with hope and expectancy. I commit to You all of my mistakes, disappointments, and setbacks, and I ask according to Your Word that You will work it all out for my good. Help me to become a person continually filled with hope, knowing You have good things planned for my future. In Jesus’ name, amen.”