Come and See What God Has Done!
by Kaytlyn Cobb
Recently, our family traveled to Jekyll Island, Georgia for a family vacation, and we were joined by two other families we have grown to love dearly, both sweet relationships that began in New City Missional Communities and have spanned years and cross-country moves.
Now, if you’ve ever traveled with lots of adults and young children, you know it can be chaotic and challenging. We had seven children five and under with us so we knew going in that this trip would be less than relaxing. We had to keep snacks and sunscreen flowing and count heads over and over to ensure everyone was accounted for. So finding pockets of times where things were quiet for a moment were few and far between during this trip.
A few times during the week, I got up early in hopes of going for a run. As soon as I walked out of the bedroom I heard the sound of little feet coming down the stairs. I was met by my 3-year-old and the other family’s 5-year-old asking what I was doing and where I was going. My plans quickly pivoted and I decided to take the girls on a walk to the beach to watch the sunrise. A quick cup of coffee was made, and we threw Crocs on the kids and took their bedhead and pajamas out for a quick adventure.
After a short walk, we reached a pier with the most beautiful view of the sunrise sneaking into view over the ocean water. I remember telling the girls, “Look at what God has made! He has made the sun rise today and wow - look at the beautiful colors He chose to use! God made this just for us to enjoy - isn't this awesome?” We stood in awe and the girls admired the array of colors they saw and how beautiful everything was in that moment.
The following morning I woke up early again, hoping for a quiet run. But yet again as soon as I opened the bedroom door and began tying my tennis shoes, I heard little feet coming down the stairs this time saying, “Where are you going? Are you going to see the sunrise? We want to see what God has made!”
So the pajamas, Crocs, and bedhead little girls and I walked down to the beach again to see what God had made for us. We walked with anticipation of the beauty and wonder ahead, believing in our hearts it would be even more beautiful than the day before. And certainly God in His creative and artistic nature met us with another sunrise which was yet again breathtaking and extraordinary.
Looking Up
As I have returned home and reminisced on this memory, it has stayed close to my mind as a reminder to spend our days considering and even looking up to see what God has done. His work and hand are everywhere I turn- in the magnificence of a sunrise and the smile on the faces of my children that I have the honor of stewarding and discipling.
Psalm 66 has been a good reminder for me as I have considered this:
“Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him, who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our back; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
We see the excerpt from this Psalm begins and ends with praise. The writer recognizes God’s hand over His people - we see how he remembered the provision, miracles, safety, and victory experienced and gave praise to God’s name. We also see the writer declare the hardships experienced - trials, burdens, overwhelming pain, and even defeat at times. He holds it all in these few sentences and at the end of verse 12 declared that God not only brought them out of suffering and pain but brought them to a place of abundance.
Do we live lives that reflect belief in these words? Do we wake each day looking to the sunrise and remembering Who is holding all of this together? Do we joyfully anticipate joy as those little girls did at what He has made for us each day? I confess this is not the posture of my heart each day. Sometimes I would rather dwell on the hardships and darkness rather than look toward the Creator and Savior of the world and what He has done. Even if my day is full of hardships because of the reality of our broken world, I can begin and end my day in praise of what He has done. I have an even greater awareness of the abundance the psalmist writes about, because I live on this side of the cross! I know the full story - that God Himself was not satisfied to have His people distant from Him, so He stepped into human history to rescue and redeem a people for Himself.
The sunrises I witnessed did not remove the suffering around me. It did not cure the darkness and evil of this world, but rather it provided perspective to my soul of who is holding all of this and postured my heart towards praise for the day ahead. And that no matter what I experience, we worship the God who paints the sunrise in the sky, perfectly blending light and color and beauty together as a gift for us each day as an invitation to remember who He is and what He has done. That this creative, majestic, powerful God bent low, becoming a man to save me from my sin and bring me home to Him. So I will wake with praise and I will end my day in praise in the place of abundance He has graciously provided.
Family, lift your eyes in moments like the beachfront sunrise. Look up together and see what God has made and how He holds each moment perfectly and completely. See His work in the good and the hard and live in the knowledge of His goodness to us in Christ.
And so in practice of this, we did it again the next morning. And I never did make it to that run.