How I wish I could stop my car some mornings and just gaze and applaud God’s sunrise. I’ve seen quite a few this year, and in previous years, and I am just liking them more and more. They are never the same, they never fail to amaze me or stun me with the degree of colours which are virtually impossible to capture on a camera. The sunrise changed all the way to work and I was in danger of winding the window down and yelling, “hey look at God’s work, can’t you see it – it’s there right in front of your eyes!”

But they don’t see. Granted some people see the sunrise and think, “oh what a nice sunrise” but they don’t see it and say, thank you Lord, that is beautiful, thank you for cheering me up this morning.

No man or woman is perfect, Martin Luther included, but in this quote if it is true, is spot on.

“God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.” ― Martin Luther

Jesus warned the Pharisees and Sadducees about them being able to interpret the signs in the sky for good or bad weather, but they failed to accept that Jesus was the Christ. As I watched the sunrise this morning this verse was read out on my audible bible.

Matthew 16:1-4

16 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3 and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

It made me think of the rhyme I learned when I was young. “Red sky in the morning, sailors warning, red sky at night, shepherds delight”.

Jesus left us with one assurance that will never be disputed, that He died willingly, and was raised from the dead on the third day – the sign of Jonah. After Jonah came out of the belly of the fish, he preached for God and the city repented. How much more better is the preaching of our Lord Jesus in our hearts, telling us that He sacrificed all this for us.

“Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.” ― Martin Luther

There are echoes of Jesus’ great love story, His love for mankind, echoed through the Bible, there are also echoes in nature about God’s nature. But how much more great will the day be when we see and behold the real heaven.