The morning was quiet without a breath of wind or the sounds of people. I only walked a few yards to set in a chair and watch the fading crescent moon as the sun rose. The nearby canal was glass calm and the tall marsh rushes on the far side had creamy tan tassles in the morning sunlight. I recorded the scene as best I could, deliberately exaggerating the size of the crescent moon to better capture its contrast to the sky. The campground was coming alive by the time I was done.
On quiet mornings like this I remember God’s mercy. He shows mercy to the unjust and the just alike, as Jesus Christ cites in Matthew 5:45. Genesis 8:22 expresses a similar sentiment as God explains that the seasons will continue, even though He knows that man is intent to have his own way (away from God, or evil) from birth. So night and day continue, perchance any person will come to his senses, repent of his own way, and come to Jesus Christ, who paid a ultimate price to ensure a way for us to have a relationship with God.
The campground where I made the observation is like a little town, except people are closer together. I think I was the only one witnessing the scene, but it does not matter. Each person, like others far away, has some opportunity to acknowledge God’s mercy and to reach out to Him. Some may die never wanting anything except their own way, oblivious to God’s sustaining power that holds the earth, which He specifically made to be inhabited. A few, on the other hand, will choose to know Him.
Choose wisely when you consider a new day. There is no promise that you have another one. Consider the bountiful mercy of God before doing too much. It might make a difference in your attitude, and you might even choose to reach out to Him. That is precisely why His mercy endures.
