Seeking Him Early

January 25, 2016

6:00 a.m.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.. I hear the soft whirring off my cellphone alarm and slowly drift towards consciousness. Reaching into my nightstand drawer I feel the hard surface of the smart phone screen and swipe across it to turn it off. Still groggy with sleep and enjoying the warmth of my soft blankets, my mind starts to fill with excuses to sleep just a little longer. You’ve had to get up for both Justin and Alexander during the night; you deserve to sleep a little longer. You’re going to be so tired today if you get up now. You can always spend time with God later sometime, maybe when Alexander is napping this afternoon or tonight when the boys are in bed and Jason is at fire practice.

I force those thoughts away. The truth is NOW, in the quiet of the early morning, is the best time to spend with God.

Our wedding text and one I’ve been reminded of recently states:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33) Not do it later.

David writes in Psalm 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

God speaks in Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Resolutely I pull myself out of bed and pull my robe snugly around me. In the kitchen I turn on the kettle and then get comfortable on the couch.  After reading and meditating on Psalm 4 and 5 and spending time in prayer I turn to my Bible study book. The timely topic is on putting God first in our life and how if we do that, everything else falls into its correct place.  It then directs me to look at Psalm 119 and the value of spending time in God’s Word.

God’s Word:

Cleanses us (verse 9)

Revives and strengthens us (verses 25 & 28)

Comforts us in our afflictions (verses 50 & 52)

Is more precious than thousands of coins of gold and silver (verse 72)

Makes us wise (verses 98-100)

Gives us understanding and light (verses 104 & 130)

And gives us great peace (verse 165)

Just the night before when doing devotions with Jayden we had read together about being plugged into our ‘Power Source’ based on Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. In contrast Jesus says in John 15:5: Without me ye can do nothing.

The truth is that waking up early to spend time at Jesus’s feet is not going to make me more tired, but quite the opposite; it recharges me, gives me focus and sets a solid foundation for the whole day!  God fills the emptiness in my heart that can never be filled with anything here on earth so I don’t waste my day looking for it elsewhere. In His presence is great peace and fullness of joy. (Psalm 119:165 and 16:11)