There are moments when the earth’s beauty parallels the glories of heaven, when you look at your surroundings with awe and know there is a God who loves and cares about you. Growing up on a farm with a 360-degree view of the sky, I was always very in tune with nature. When I look at the clear dawn sky after a night of rain and observe the unique optical effect created by the mingling of mist and dust, I’m reminded of King David’s last recorded words: “like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without clouds, like the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain.”1
I am also fascinated by crepuscular rays that shine with an ethereal light. These are rays of sunlight separated by darker cloud-shadowed regions, and though they are nearly parallel, they appear to radiate from a single point. They stream from behind mountains or clouds, scattering sunlight through dust particles. Sometimes these are called “God rays.”
Whenever I see them, I stop and give thanks to God for showing His glory in His creation and demonstrating spiritual principles through visual phenomena. Without the particles of dust or water vapor obscuring the pure sunlight, we could never see this beauty so clearly. Without the clouds trying to hide the sun, we’d miss some of the facets of its magnificence.
In our lives, the annoyances, like dust, that shroud our light and try to overwhelm our days with small distractions can actually work together to bring about a deeper beauty. If we take a moment to behold the beauties of creation, the first rays of dawn or the twilight, our lives are filled with beauty that is majestic and proudly proclaims God’s love shining down on us, pure, unfailing, and eternal.
- 2 Samuel 23:4 NLT↑