I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east; the sound was like that of rushing water; and the earth radiated his glory. (Ezekiel 43:2)
I faced the eastern sky. The confusion of the night was nearly over. There were signs that made hope dissolve into reality. Thin clouds reddened like a bashful girl. They swirled in the clash between the cursed night and the joyous day.
Paul says, “For we groan while we are in this tent,” until “what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Cor. 5:4).
These blood touched wisps were caught between groaning and singing. Likewise, our groaning awakens our voices for the song to come.
I faced the eastern sky. Now I stared into a red so loud I wondered what more God could say to assure the Son’s coming. Behind me the horizon was black, people slumbered, and evil prevailed. Facing that way provided no indication of the miracle that unfolded, so I set my gaze on the east. I strained toward where the Son was expected, where the lover of my soul would materialize. I stretched toward the promise, and now, there it was, this red groaning sign.
I faced the eastern sky. Logic told me warmth from Sol’s amber beams wouldn’t be felt for a while, but it also said the ruby flower at the bottom of the night meant he was coming. God’s Spirit, pining in me for our broken world, is the red break in the night of my spirit. It’s my guarantee that the Son, even now, rises in the east with a voice like rushing waters and a radiance that bathes the land with his glory.
Prayer: Arise. Arise to shine, Lord Jesus.