Day after Day

"The heavens declare the glory of God," wrote the psalmist, "the sky displays his handiwork."

My thoughts quickly turn toward vast galaxies when I read those words--expansive images of countless stars and unending space. God is no doubt honored by the immensity and beauty of the universe, but the psalmist mentions something else, something I too easily take for granted. The created world speaks of God "day after day" and "night after night" as the sun continues in its regular course. And there was morning and there was evening, the zillionth day, this day that God has made.

Such regularity brings serenity and perspective. Our lives may be chaotic and unpredictable, but our days never are. They are as they have been and as they will be. The observation is no mere platitude. "Tomorrow's another day," said Scarlett. "The sun will come out tomorrow," sang Orphan Annie. Both hoped that the morning light would bring some new reality. But what if our expectation for tomorrow is instead that the cancer will have gained ground? What if our greatest hope would be to freeze time and prevent whatever comes next? The psalmist reminds us that the relentless character of life is also in God's hand. "Do it again," he commands, and the sunrise is the work of his hands.