I love sunsets. (I love sunrises, too, but I prefer to be asleep when they’re happening.) The glorious colors spread over the horizon, as if God took a handful of paintbrushes and danced across the sky. The brilliant sight reminds me of two things I know are true: there is a Creator who makes beauty and the Creator is glorious. 

While the beauty of nature points us to God’s glory, Psalm 102 teaches us that God’s glory is even greater than the fading glory of His creation: 

“Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.” (Psalm 102:25-27)

The heavens are the work of His hands, and they are glorious. But one day, He will change them like He’s changing His clothes. The creation we see now will pass away, but the Lord will remain. 

So what does this mean for us on an ordinary Monday when we feel overwhelmed by the week ahead? 

Created things, such as sunsets, nature, people, and possessions, can be beautiful, glorious blessings in our lives. But these things don’t stay the same. They will not last forever, and they will eventually pass away. 

The Lord is the one Who will always remain. His power and glory will never fade. Those colorful sunsets can remind us of this truth: we are loved and redeemed by a glorious Creator who will never change and whose years have no end. 

The psalmist goes on to say:“The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.” (Psalm 102:28) 

The knowledge of God’s eternal nature isn’t abstract; it’s personal. Because of God’s unchanging glory, we know that He will keep all His covenant promises – to us and to future generations of those who trust in Him. 

No matter what you face this week, the glory and power of God will remain forever. 

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One day when my son was little, I tried to convince him to go backwards in age instead of growing up. In his most serious, let-me-explain-this-to-you voice, he said, “You can’t do that. You can only be each age one time, and then you die.” 

I remember being surprised that he would talk so matter-of-factly about death – even his own. But in the mind of a young child, death seemed far away. He still had decades of birthdays to check off before he got there. He hadn’t yet felt the sting of the death of someone close to him or the fear of a life-threatening diagnosis that could cut those years short. 

As we walk through life in a fallen world, we can’t escape the reality of death. Just this week, our church family has grieved sudden losses that impacted two of our extended families. Sin, sickness, and death can steal many things from us – relationships, livelihoods, plans, and dreams – and that’s been startlingly clear this past year. 

In our heartbreak, we crave a hope that can survive the pain of death. And we have such a hope in our risen Savior, Jesus Christ: 

“According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:3b-4)

Death is rendered powerless by our living hope, because Jesus holds the keys of death and hell (Revelation 1:18). God, in His great mercy, has given us new life here and eternal life in heaven through the resurrection of Jesus.  Our living hope fills us with joy and peace, and it assures us of a heavenly inheritance that can never be taken away. 

In a world filled with decay, deterioration, and disappointment, we can look forward to an inheritance kept in heaven for us that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Even when we can’t escape the pain of grief, our hope isn’t dead. We have a living hope, because our hope is found in the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. 

No matter what you face this week, cling to the living hope you have in Jesus Christ. 

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