Wildfires roar across Europe and Western North America levelling homes, businesses, forests, and plains. Here where I live—hundreds of miles from the devastation—we awaken many mornings with throats dry and scratchy, lungs almost gasping for clear air because of smoke carried by air currents.
Yet in the middle of these disasters, we look into the sky each evening to discover spectacular sunsets, colors so vivid they seem painted by the most avant garde of artists. Out of the catastrophes has come beauty.
Looking for beauty in the midst of hardship is a challenge most of us either ignore or battle. What beauty could come from distress and affliction? The Apostle James writes that such suffering can produce beautiful perseverance in us (James 1:3)
“I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved”.
His friend Peter goes on to say that we can become beautifully effective and productive as we walk through the fires of trials
‘I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved“. (1 Peter 1:8).
Even as we pray for restoration and new life for the suffering people and land, may the sunsets remind us to look to the loving Creator who makes all things new, who brings beauty out of ashes.
Father, I don’t understand the pain of suffering nor do I see how you can bring beauty out of ashes but your promise is sure. Help me see beauty through the smoke of suffering,
By Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• A Prayer for When you Feel Like you have Failed
• A Prayer for When You Need more Faith
• Salvation Explained