03/02/2022
Each and every morning I rise, and spend the first hours of my day alone with God. I read His Word, and I pray in the name of His Son Jesus Christ. Then I write what the spirit has given me. There is no substitute for this time when we present ourselves to the Lord. We are made new in faith by committing ourselves fresh to Jesus Christ, and finding ourselves awash in the Holy Spirit in these quiet moments with God. Long before we walk into the world we should embrace Him. We are not meant to prepare ourselves in the morning, but to do so before our morning begins. God told Moses to be ready BY morning, and so we are to do the same. We should close our eyes each evening with a prayer flowing from our mouths; longing in excited anticipation for the moment when our eyes will reopen, and we will take our Father’s hand once more. We should yearn for the feeling of joy that our first breath will bring as we begin the new day in His presence.
“Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.””
Exodus 34:2-3 ESV
How do we slip away into slumber each night? How do we open our eyes in the morning, and prepare for our day? If the love of God greets us fresh and is new each morning shouldn’t we meet Him with our heart overflowing in love for Him, and our arms open wide?
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
No matter what we face during our day, whether it be trial, temptation, or even the momentary anger of God, our joy comes in the morning. Even when we close our eyes in hopelessness, weep through our nightly prayers, or ask for mercy while pleading for deliverance, our joy in God will greet our waking breath. This is the importance of morning devotion, hours spent in righteous preparation for our day, and the sincere repentance of a renewed spirit.
“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Psalm 30:5 ESV
Alone… this is how we are meant to approach the Lord each morning. We should come to him with our hearts in our hands, prepared for His finger to write upon them. These are our tablets of stone, and on these the Lord will engrave His will for us, and instruct us in this day.
“No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.” So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone.”
Exodus 34:3-4 ESV
So where is our quiet place, and do we enter it alone each and every morning? What are the prayers that trail from our mouths as we slip into slumber each night, and are they the things that our dreams are made of? Is our day in the world governed by what God has engraved upon our fresh cut tablets each morning, or do we simply walk alone into the dangers that await us? These are the questions we should ask ourselves today, and are the makings of a relationship that should dictate the changes to our morning, and nightly routines that will bring us into the presence of God, and Jesus Christ each and every day.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit that leads us in our nightly prayers. Thank you Lord for refreshing our faith, and spirits, each morning as we come alone before you. Open our hearts to you Merciful Father, and write your will for us upon them. Let nothing stand in the way as we prepare ourselves in faith to face the world. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who makes our paths straight, and fills us with joy. Praised be your name for every evening prayer that trickles from our lips as we drift into sleep, and for each and every prayer that we offer up in the early morning. You are merciful Father, and your Grace washes over us as we cleanse ourselves daily with the blood of Jesus. May we please you today in all we do, and bring you glory in so doing. See in us the image of your Son Jesus Christ, and call us worthy… your children.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.”
Lamentations 3:22-33 ESV
Rich Forbes