In the Morning
We all have our “routines” as we begin the day. That early morning stretch, followed by the arduous task of getting prepared to face the day, then that all-important cup of coffee and a breakfast of some sort: that is usually the custom. For some of us, changing that pattern alters the events of the entire day, so we remain consistent day after day.
A quick search of a good concordance reveals more than one hundred times in scripture we find the phrase, “in the morning.” Throughout the book of Genesis, the phrase begins with “rose up.” These Bible characters had their routines as well, and they started “in the morning.” One ponders if this is a shadow of how we souls submitting to the law of Christ should begin our days: viz, “rise up early in the morning.”
The psalmist gives us a better suggestion of how God’s children should begin the day God has given us. He writes, “My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.” (Psalm 5:3) At another place, the psalmist says, “But unto Thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent Thee.” (Psalm 88:13) In this latter passage the writer means he would pray to God before either God or himself were busy with other matters. The emphasis is more on the schedule of man than God, for God is without time, and remains eager to hear our prayers (Isaiah 59:1; 1 Peter 3:12). The thought is that prayer would precede all other activities of the day!
I muse on the importance of talking with God before one does anything else. Too often, we fall asleep before ending our prayers at night. Granted, we prayed through the day, but did we begin the day with prayer, or was our “routine” more vital to us? Prayer should be constant (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and that includes in the morning! That practice would certainly make for better days!