"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary."
Isaiah 40:28
Peter the Great ruled from a palace filled with some of the most exquisite works of art produced in the world up to that time. Yet, when he pondered a sunrise, he wondered how men could be so foolish not to rise every morning to behold one of the most glorious sights in the universe.
"They delight," he said, "in gazing on a picture, the trifling work of a mortal, and at the same time neglect one painted by the hand of the Deity Himself. For my part, I am for making my life as long as I can and therefore sleep as little as possible."
Peter the Great's observation tells us something about his general outlook on life. Not only did he know true beauty when he beheld it, but he believed that rising early every day to drink the beauty of God's marvelous work of art would actually add days to his life. That concept is not so far-fetched if we consider what psychologists have told us about relieving stress. You can alleviate stress by getting up earlier and spending some quiet time enjoying a sunrise!
Chicago produce dealer, John Cooper Smith, felt watching the sun rise was such an important gift to his life, he actually made mention of it in his will. He left his widow an estate of fifty thousand dollars, and then he made this bequest to his other relatives:
"To my remaining relatives I give the sunshine, the birds and the bees, wherever the above mentioned sunshine, birds and bees may be found. The greatest art exhibit you will ever see, opens daily at dawn. And equally wonderful, this exhibit is always free to those who view it."
How long has it been since you have awakened early to see the sun rise? This grand display of God's creativity can ignite the creative gifts He placed in you and inspire you to use them during the day!
"Tea Time With God"
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