The Sun Is Always There - Lessons from the Beach: Episode 4

Good morning, Victorious Living family. I don't know if you can see it in the background, but the sun is rising, and I'm going to put some beautiful pictures and videos up. It is absolutely gorgeous. You know, I almost didn't leave the house. I woke up really early this morning. I'm going to get down at the end of the beach and watch the sun come up, and the sun comes up at 6, 6.04. But when I looked out the window, it was just not very pretty out. If you can see, that's what I saw out my window. There's just clouds just everywhere, storms brewing, and I thought, you know what, it's not going to be so pretty. I'm just going to stay in bed, and then I said, you know what, I'm going. I'm going to go spend some quiet time with the Lord, and He has given me a show. I walked out this morning, I don't know, about 5.40 and 5.45, and I was walking down, and I think there's a saying something, it's brightest before dawn or something like that. It was so gorgeous. I mean, the sky with all the clouds was just lit up these amber colors, and I can't wait for you to see the pictures. They were just shining through, rays everywhere. It was reflecting off the water, and I was like, man, this is even more beautiful. I mean, the sun hadn't even come up yet, and I was worried about all the clouds, and the clouds were actually what made it so pretty. Then I got down here, and you know what, it's gone now. The sun is still there, but I would have missed it. I actually got to see it, and you're going to see it, coming up over the horizon. It made me think about how often we miss things because we just look at the conditions, or we look out, and we're like, you know what, it's just not going to be good. It's not going to be good. It's not going to be what I expected.

I'm going to be disappointed. This morning, I learned a valuable lesson. I mean, look at it out here. Yeah, there's clouds. Yeah, there's clouds even blocking the sun, but those clouds, for some reason, have made it even more beautiful. It made me appreciate, oh look, and it's like peeking through right now as it's coming up, and then it's going to get over those clouds, and we're really going to see it. Sometimes as we go through life, there's a lot of clouds. There is a lot of clouds, and sometimes it's hard for us to remember that the sun is still there, that the sun, S-O-N, the son of God, Jesus, is still there. Sometimes all we can see is the clouds. Sometimes all we can see are the storms that are brewing, and we forget that behind, not behind the storms, meaning sending the storms, but they're in the darkness. There in those clouds, in those storms, there is a God who sees you. There's a God who's going to illuminate the way. There is the son of God who has died for you, who loves you, who will never abandon you. Sometimes we can't see it because of the clouds, and I just want you to remember this morning that just because the clouds are there doesn't mean the sun's not there. The sun's always there. Just sometimes the things around us block the view, and sometimes we just stay in bed and we miss it. We think the sun's not there. The sun, I won't see the sun. I won't experience the sun. That was me this morning, the S-O-N, but I came out, and the, excuse me, the S-U-N. I can't spell this morning. And then I came out, and the sun was there, and it was magnificent. There haven't been many clouds this week. It's just been beautiful skies, and I thought, well, forget that.

I'm not going out there this early. I'm not going to see anything, but yet, even with the clouds, the sun's so beautiful. And sometimes, even with God, when I'm walking through storms, that's where I've seen Him the most beautiful, because He says, I'll be with you as you pass through difficult waters. Waters. Boy, that was weird. Waters is how we say it in the South, waters. And He says, I'll be with you as you walk through the fire, and you won't be burned. He told the Israelites in the wilderness, I am with you. I'm leading you by night with the fiery ball and then by day by the clouds. God was in that cloud too. The Lord talks about, you know, in this world there'll be trials. You hear me say that a lot. There'll be trials and tribulations, but despite all those trials and tribulations, you can count it all joy because I'm there with you. And I love you and I'll never leave you or forsake you. I think God's giving us a show right now, what do you think? It's just absolutely beautiful. The sun is always there. The S-U-N, it's faithful, it's going to rise, and the sun, S-O-N, of God and God and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity is always there with you as well. Sometimes you may not see Him, but if you seek Him, if you'll get out of bed, if you'll walk that beach, if you'll look for Him, He'll reveal His glory in ways just like this morning that you cannot possibly deny His presence. God's got you, my friends, and God's in the darkness with you. It says wherever you are, I think it's Psalms 139, it's so beautiful, it says though you may go to the depths of the sea, to the farthest place of the earth, even there my presence and my love, it's going to find you. It's going to find you.

God, I know sometimes you go through things and you're like, where are you? He's there. Sometimes the circumstances, they try to hide them. Circumstances sometimes brings clouds over our minds, it brings confusion and doubt. Just like I was doubting this morning whether I was, I mean I knew the sun was going to come up, but I was like, don't doubt God. Just as sure as that sun is there behind those clouds, your Heavenly Father is there. He is there and He will not leave you and He's going to shine through and He's going to direct your footsteps. I'm just going to just kind of sit this morning and this morning I had planned on just kind of spending some quiet time myself, but I could not pass this up and show you this. So I'm just going to kneel here on this beach and I'm going to pray for you. Father, I just thank you so much for these beautiful people that are watching. Right now you're saying to this person, I see you, I love you, I've got you. Though the rains are pouring down and the currents of your life are moving so swiftly, I want you to know, God says, that I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. I'm riding in on the clouds, He says. That storm you see, that thing you think is just the end of you, I'm riding in on the clouds. Psalms 18. God says, go read Psalms 18. That I'm thundering down from Heaven. That I am shrouded in the clouds. And the reason I'm shrouded in the clouds is because the enemy doesn't expect me to bust in on the scene. I'm going to bust in on your scene. I'm going to bust in and I'm going to make things right, He says. I'm a God of justice. Keep holding on. Don't lose your faith, He says.

For I see you, my brother. Well, God would say to you, I see you, my son. My brother or my sister, I want you to know that God sees you. And He loves you. He is for you. God says, I'm for you. I'm not against you. And those clouds, clouds like they made Christi search harder. Sometimes the clouds, if you're willing and you search harder for me during those times, you're going to find me in ways that you never dreamed. And it's going to be more beautiful than you could have ever imagined. There is nothing in this world that is bigger than me, the Lord says. And there is nothing in this world more important than you. And if I can rise the sun and I can keep these waves from coming in, up onto this shore and taking all the world out, I can surely take care of your situation. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen. He's got the whole world in His hands. He's got the whole wide world in His hands. He's got the whole world in His hands. He's got the whole world in His hands. He's got you and me, brother and sister. In His hands, He's got you and me, brother and sister. In His hands, He's got you and me, brother. In His hands, He's got the whole world in His hands. O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds Thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the roaring thunder, Thy power throughout the universe declared. Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art.

Then sings our soul, our Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art. God, You're so great. And the great I Am, guess what? He is I Am-ing for you today. Let's see if I can get up. It's going to be a short one this morning. I'm going to go about walking and praying for you. I love you. I hope you have a wonderful day. Don't forget, look, it's getting darker, but we know, don't we? We know what's there. Never forget it. God bless you. Bye. Thank you for watching our broadcast. Are you an incarcerated brother or sister who needs encouragement? Write to us at Victorious Living Correspondents, P.O. Box 2751 Greenville, North Carolina, 27836, or email us at hope at vlmag.org. To view Victorious Living Magazine in its entirety, please have your chaplain contact us at 352-478-2098 or email us through our website at vlmag.org. We are happy to provide our Victorious Living Magazine free of charge, in bulk, with or without staples.