Saturday In The Word: When Dawn Breaks In

Some mornings feel like they never quite become morning. The sky stays gray. The air sits heavy. Our hearts feel suspended between what we’ve lost and what has not yet begun.

Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:78–79 (ESV)

When Zechariah sings these words, he reminds us of a truth that never dims with our circumstance: God’s mercy comes like sunrise. Not rushed. Not forced. But certain.

This is the promise Advent whispers to us.

We don’t bring the dawn.
We can’t conjure the light.
We simply open our eyes to God’s mercy already moving around us.

For those sitting in darkness

Luke describes people “who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”
That’s not a quick moment, but a posture, a season. It’s a place we settle into because grief, trauma, or exhaustion have made it difficult to move forward, if not move at all.

And yet, God visits us. God bends low. God enters the places we would rather avoid. He is Emmanuel, God with us.

Our darkness is not deserted ground.

The sunrise does what we cannot

It gives light. Not just so we can see. The sunrise gives light to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Peace isn’t just the absence of conflict; it’s the presence of Christ.

Peace is a path. It’s a direction. It’s a way of walking with God. This season, some of us need light more than we need answers. We thirst for guidance more than explanations. We hunger for a hand on our shoulder pointing us toward peace.

Where this meets your life today

Friend, where do you feel stuck in the shadows?
Where do you sense the darkness lingering longer than it should?
Where are you waiting for a sunrise you can’t produce?

Let this be your encouragement today:

The Light is already on the way.
Mercy is already rising.
Peace is already finding your feet.

You don’t have to make morning happen. You only have to welcome the One who brings it.

Today’s Saturday in the Word post is part of #ADVENT2025, a blogging collaboration between a number of Christians seeking to glorify God by drawing our hearts and minds to Him.

If you’re interested in joining us on our ADVENT2025 quest, please feel free to do so. The idea is simply to magnify and glorify Christ as we point people to Him. We’d love to have you share your Advent thoughts and experiences with us. Please be sure to tag your posts with ADVENT2025. There is plenty of room at the table.

Some Participating Bloggers include:
Bridget A. Thomas – Every Day Is A Gift
Loring Schultz  – Word For The Soul
Alan Kearns – Devotional Treasure
Nathan R Dooley – Time For Providence
David Duncan – David’s Daily Dose
Cindi West – God Still Speaks
Barb Hegreberg – My Life in our Father’s World
Rainer Bantau – The Devotional Guy™

Until my next post…

Be salty, stay lit.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™

You can now find my articles in The Christian Grandfather Magazine.

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