Verses: Lamentations 3:22-23; Psalm 30:5; John 9:5
Fun Fact: Acadia National Park was the first national park east of the Mississippi River
Favorite Hike: Beehive Trail
Acadia National Park is the nation’s easternmost national park, taking up most of Mount Desert Island in the southeastern part of coastal Maine. The park extends to a few other islands, such as Isle au Haut and includes part of the mainland near the Schoodic Peninsula.
Acadia first became a national park in 1919 under the name Lafayette after Marquis de Lafayette. It was later changed to Acadia in 1929, in honor of the former French colony that once included parts of Maine.
Acadia is known for its quintessential, rugged coastline. The ocean trail is one of the best ways to take in the views. It runs parallel to the main Park Loop Road from Sand Beach, past the popular Thunder Hole, and down to Otter Cliff. The park also has some more adventurous hikes such as the three-quarters of a mile Beehive hike, which requires you to climb iron rungs and walk along the edges of exposed cliffs. Precipice is probably the most extreme trail the park, but it is often closed for falcon breeding.
Another popular destination within the park is Cadillac Mountain, the highest point along the north Atlantic seaboard at 1,530 feet. It is one of the first places to see the sunrise in the U.S. from October–March. (In the summer months, the first sunrise spot is thought to be Mars Hill on the Canadian border.) Many visitors hike the summit trail in the first hour of the day to arrive in time to witness the sunrise and panoramic views. The less adventurous can also drive.
To me there has always been something encouraging about sunrises. Aside from the beauty itself, a sunrise signals the end of darkness and the hope of a new day. It’s a fresh start full of possibilities and opportunities.
Sure, sunsets are equally beautiful, as is a dark night sky where you can see all of the stars, but there is something physically and emotionally warming about a sunrise. We tend to find light energizing, inviting, and comforting. The Bible offers a lot of encouragement through the description of a sunrise and a new morning:
Reflect on verses like Lamentations 3:22-23
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
and Psalm 30:5
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
It is also encouraging to remember that the Bible consistently uses the imagery of light to represent Christ and His goodness while describing the darkness as evil (John 1:5; Ephesians 5:8; Psalm 18:28)
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. – 1 John 1:5
In fact, Jesus himself says He is the light of the world:
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” – John 8:12
This is one of the seven “I AM” statements in John where Jesus identifies himself as God, fulfilling much of what the Old Testament prophesied about the coming Messiah and the use of light (Psalm 27:1; Psalm 119:105; Isaiah 60:19-22; Revelation 21:23-34)
We see this theme throughout the book of John.
While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” – John 9:5
So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.” – John 12:35
The book of John consistently points us towards Jesus as Christ, the son of God who brings the gift of salvation to those who believe, and uses this analogy to strengthen that message. Jesus, through His saving work on the cross, allows us to see fully, to dispel the darkness of our sinful nature, and to walk by His guiding light.
I pray as you visit Acadia and see the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, or take in a sunrise in any of the other national parks, or even wake to the start of a new day, you take a minute to remember that the Lord is our light.
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
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