The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (NRSV)
What does a sunset reveal to you?
Richard Rohr, In his book, “Just This,” considers how contemplative prayer allows us to release our thoughts, finding deeper wisdom and guidance:
“Contemplation is a panoramic, receptive awareness whereby we take in all that a situation, moment, or person offers without judging, eliminating, or labeling anything. It is pure and positive gazing that abandons all negative pushback so we can begin to recognize inherent dignity. It takes much practice and a lot of unlearning of habitual responses.”
“Just This” invites us into the book by describing the writers thoughts. …”is a collection of brief and evocative meditations and practices that invite us to cultivate the gift of waking up to the beauty of reality in all its glorious ordinariness. … Rohr creates a spaciousness for the soul to grow into a kind of seeing that goes far beyond merely looking to recognizing and thus appreciating. This is the heart of contemplation, the centerpiece of any inner dialogue that frees us from the traps of our perceptions and preoccupations. The contemplative mind does not tell us what to see; it teaches us how to see what we behold.”
“How to see what we behold!” Awe!
Many of us may remember Sandi Patty singing, 🎶“We shall Behold Him; The sky shall unfold
Preparing His entrance
The stars shall applaud Him
With thunders of praise” Songwriter: Dottie Rambo
“For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee”. Isaiah 60:2
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.”
Psalms 24:1-2 NIV
Now comes my sunset reveal:
“Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.” Psalms 24:3-5 NIV
I’m here! You’re here! We are here! All for a purpose! Find your Star!
thedailylily.com 
That is a stunning sunset photo by Chris Mar! The colors and tranquility, I think, goes right along with Sara’s scripture from Phil 4:7.
There is a lot to think on and learn from the quotes in this blog and Sara’s writing. Two that especially stood out were, “It is pure and positive gazing that abandons all negative pushback so we can begin to recognize inherent dignity.” And, “The contemplative mind does not tell us what to see; it teaches us how to see what we behold.”
Sara asks, “What does a sunset reveal to you?”
To me, a sunset often reveals beautiful colors and light not seen in other parts of the day. It signifies a closing of a day; a completion or end to daytime activities. I often like to pause and sit and watch in my backyard the light dim and the darkness begin to settle in. I notice birds often fly to the feeder for one last meal, and then retreat to their nighttime rest in the trees. Their songs cease. Depending on the season, the sound of peepers may be heard from the nearby woods; fireflies may appear; and an occasional bat or two dart across the darkening sky. An evening star appears and sometimes a moon rises. As darkness deepens I often think of the scripture, “Night cometh when no man can work…” … “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5
The footnotes for Philippians 4:7 says: (NLT) “God’s peace is different from the world‘s peace (see John14:27). True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. Our citizenship in Christ’s Kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and we can have victory over sin. Let God‘s peace guard your heart against anxiety.”
Beautiful photo of the sunset by Christopher Mar. 🌅
Thanks Debi and Tammy for sharing and bringing a little clarity to each of us to guide us to our earth journey of duty and work on earth.
The writer of Hebrews gave this Benediction to the believers. Seems to sum up scriptures you have shared to hopefully guide us to put ithem n action.
“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.13.20-21.NIV