“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 (NIV)
I love mornings! That has not always been the case. When I was in grade school, my mom would wake me up in the mornings, knowing she would give me at least two opportunities to get out of bed before serious trouble came my way. One day I had a great idea. After the second round of wake ups, I got out of bed and headed for the shower making sure I had my mom’s watchful eye. Her task of waking me up was successful, or though she thought. I shut the door to the bathroom, turned on the water and then the brilliance of my plan went into action. I quietly got out towels from the cabinet and made a nice pallet that would serve as a bed to go back to sleep with the shower running. That worked until mom found me asleep on the bathroom floor. Ouch! Yep, I didn’t think to lock the door. Let us just say the shower didn’t need to wake me up. I was up and hurting. To say I was focused to start my day would be a serious mistake.
Now as a responsible adult, I enjoy mornings. It could be because at almost 53 years old, (June 2nd to be exact… Next week!! Hint hint… lol that’s what he gets for having his wife send these out 😊) I cannot sleep late anyways. Sometimes sleep is a challenge due to the late night Taco Bell or in more seriousness, the burdens that I can carry with my family, the ministry and life in general. When I was a kid, I was not worried about the bills to be paid, or the people who depended on me. That was for my parents and that is why they were up early in the morning and not me.
I like what David says in Psalm 143, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,’’ David knew something about adult burdens. Read other Psalms and you can relate to his sleepless nights, relentless enemies, and problem parenting. David was not always calm and secure always knowing what to do. But he did know where to go and that was to God and His Word in the mornings. David knew that the best part of waking up was not what was in his coffee cup, but in his cup that overflows (Psalm 23:5). God’s love helps us start the day being reassured that we are loved and faithfully led.
There are so many things pulling at us right now as parents, owners of businesses, pastors, and parishioners. “Is it safe to return to society, open my business and attend my church?” “Is the economy going to be ok and for that matter, is my job secure?” Each day we need to do what David says to do.
First, put your trust in God and His Word. What does God say about you, your family and business? What promises are you being reminded of when you start your day? Secondly, when we put our trust in God, He is faithful to show us the way to go. Starting your day, your journey with God helps you to know the how, the why and the when.
This is something I am leaning into as we navigate the waters to come back together as a church family. There is pressure to come back and pressure to stay away. There is advice to demand our constitutional rights and the advice to be patient, safe and wait for God’s timing. Each morning I ask God and He is faithful to lead me in the where and the when. I believe He has given us a great plan to regather and when we do, it will be a very special moment we will never forget. The celebration with worship and prayer will launch us into the next season of recovery.
In the morning, listen to God calling you out of bed and into His Word. Do not do what I did as a kid. Falling back to sleep can be painful if you miss the focus of the day. Let the morning bring you word of God’s love for you. Be reassured He is leading as you place your trust in Him. Discern the voice that has your best interest in mind and follow it.
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