Crosswalk the Devotional - July 30, 2008
July 30, 2008
This Day
by Katherine Peters, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor
“In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you, and wait in expectation.”
Psalms 5:3
MEEP! MEEP! MEEP! MEEP!
I hear that sound every morning at 6:45 a.m. And every morning, I ponder my chances of hitting the snooze bar and still getting out the door on time. I’m sure that alarm clocks are the result of the Fall and therefore I wake up spewing righteous anger at the thing.
If you’re like me, you’ve heard or read dozens of encouraging bits about waking up early to start the day with God. At 6:45 a.m., however, none of that encouragement really helps me. All I can think of is how tired I am and how busy I’ve been and how I’ve got so much to do today.
“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” – Psalm 90:14
Honestly, I’ve been in sink-or-swim mode for the last few weeks. More than once, I’ve joked that all I do is go to work and plan a wedding. I find myself exhausted from working these two jobs, ironically because I love them both. Waking up in the morning reminds me that there’s still more to do.
One of my favorite morning prayers goes like this: “So far today, God, I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, I haven't lost my temper. I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over-indulgent. I'm really thankful for that. But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on I'm going to need a lot more help. Amen.” Oh yeah, that’s me.
“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 lift up my soul.” – Psalm 153:8
I confess that there have been many times when I’ve looked at the clock and bemoaned the “ungodly” hour. Lately, though, a quiet voice has reminded me that the “ungodliness” is in my own attitude. That voice doesn’t come from Christian inspirational reading. It comes from a Holy Spirit that will not let me forget what the morning means.
“[Your mercies] are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:23
There’s a song by Audio Adrenaline that captures the essence of my wake-up routine:
It's six A.M. I'm so tired.
The alarm sounds, a new day begins.
Before I go and disturb this peaceful moment I look to You
I'm amazed
How You forgive me
Yesterday seems so far behind
It's a brand new day
And every day's a new beginning
I look to You
I want to say a prayer
Before my feet can hit the ground
Lord, I give this day to You
I’ve heard that message before, and I’ll have to keep preaching it to myself until there are no more alarm clocks. The truth is, I don’t usually wake up wanting to praise the Lord. But in the quiet moment before I throw back the sheets, there’s time to remember what this day means – new mercy straight from the Lord.
Maybe alarm clocks really are the result of the Fall. But every new morning springs from God’s grace.
Intersecting Faith & Life: Take Lamentations 3:23 and sticky-note it to your bathroom mirror. When you stumble in the next morning and see it, take a moment to pause and rejoice that the Lord has made you a new creation – like the morning.
Further Reading
Guiding the Attitude of Your Day
How to Pray on the Go
