I'm beginning to think that I am a 'slow adopter' in the area of morning routines. (After 60 years of living what was my first clue, right?) I've done much of my life “fitting things in” that are important to me. I have just done it later in the day - or when I have a few minutes - or before bed. If it is important, you get it done, right?
Maybe for that stage of my life that was ok. At least it is the choice I made then and I'm ok with that. I would still like to think that I can get as much done in my old way as I would by creating an early morning routine.
But recently, I've been challenged to think and do mornings differently. (More on that here!)
In my effort to answer my question, WHY MORNING? I came across some scriptures that talk about mornings. If you do a word search on morning on Biblegateway.com, you’ll be amazed to see just how many things happened in the morning, in the early morning, or at the break of day.
Almost right away I found this verse and thought - Yep! This one I get!
Proverbs 27:14
A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse!
Or maybe this one: Psalm 73:14
All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.
There are days like that, right?
But then there I found all of these……
PSALM 30:5
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 59:16
But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.
Psalm 90:14
Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
Psalm 92:2
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening,
Psalm 143:8
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.
Isaiah 50:4
The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.
Lamentations 3:22-23
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I'm struck by the fact that there is no talk in Scripture of a to-do list for the morning. It's more of a gift list that God gives to us. In the morning there is joy….
I'm singing with joy about his unfailing love
I'm satisfied with his unfailing love
I proclaim his unfailing love
I hear of his unfailing love
I'm awakened by God himself
He opens my understanding
His mercies begin fresh
Wow! What a list! It makes me wonder what I have been missing by not getting up earlier.
And look at the benefits to us:
Weeping ends (I know, I’ve cried plenty of times in the daytime, but the night is so hard.)
We have joy because he is our refuge- our place of safety.
We sing for joy to the end of our lives
We can trust him
He shows us where to walk
He gives us his words of wisdom so we can comfort the weary
I don't know about you, but this gift list is one I want to experience on a regular basis.
I'm hearing God's invitation - through the voices of people I respect and admire - to experience God's unfailing, never ending love in a fresh way each day. (More on that here)
You may not be a morning person either. And really, I know for a fact that God's love and joy are present later in the day too.
But I'm going to accept the challenge to allow God to wake me and satisfy me with his unfailing love.
Will you join me? Let me know in the comments below. Let's encourage each other in the journey.
Luke 1:78
Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.
Wow!