God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Genesis 1:5 ESV

It was about 3:30 in the afternoon when we pulled up to our last lawn to mow for the week. “We’re here to cut the grass, Mrs. Schwartz*!” I called out as we hurried to get the mowers of the truck. But she quickly stopped us in our tracks, as she replied “Oh no, not now! It is too close to Sabbath.” You see, I was learning that when we Gentiles see a sunset and think, “Another day is done.” But, to the Jewish mind, just as in the book of Genesis, sunset is the beginning of a new one. Today’s verse makes it clear that darkness always comes first, and then light. “And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”

The same is true of God’s schedule for every one of us. When the darkness of illness, trouble of death falls in our lives, we think, “This is the end of my day!” But God replies, “Oh no; not at all! This night season you are about to pass through is a new beginning. It is almost Sabbath, and on the other side of this darkness is the second half of the day. There you will be sure to find both sunrise and true rest! “