“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him'” (Lam 3:22–24).
From the first chapter of Genesis we are reminded that God’s definition of a day has the clock ending in the light and not at night: “And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Gen 1:31). The sustained cycle of the luminaries serve as “signs” (Gen 1:14), if we have eyes to see. Light always overcome the darkness, but it’s easy to forget this hope when the shadows fall.
I wrote the following poem in a period of suffering. We had adopted our son Ezra (short for Azariah, “Yahweh is my help”), but a complicated investigation had made it impossible for us to bring him home. Days turned into weeks, which turned into months of waiting, of longing, of trust. The LORD was our helper, and I praise him for both sustaining and saving our boy. Ezra is now eight, and he has been home for 5.5 years.
If you are struggling in the dark, rest in hope, knowing that light will triumph and that God in Christ will bring the dawn. “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Matt 4:16).
Mercies at Dawn: A Poem
How bright the light we once remember,
The desire of a new day.
How confident the gates of splendor
Will come for those who wait.
Dark is the night when trust is tried;
Long hours of heightened desire
Will culminate in glorious sight
Of him we call our treasure.
Aching hearts to bring home our boy;
Our love grows ever deeper.
Through this sea, all for our joy,
The reunion will be the sweeter.
“Yahweh, my helper”––this his name,
Our God faithful will be.
He, our rock, never to shame
Those he died to redeem.
Not by sight but by faith,
Through this valley of pain.
But God is present and keeps us safe,
His Word, more than bread, sustains.
Awakened in darkness amidst the night,
From our heart comes a song.
Our faith is fueled, our God is praised,
And more mercies come at dawn.
––Jason S. DeRouchie (11/24/2010)
