Rise and Shine!

A common time for God to meet with His leaders was first thing in the morning. Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his only son Isaac and we read of Abraham rising early in the morning (Genesis 22:3). Moses would perform many of the plagues in the morning. Manna would be scattered over the desert floor for Israel in the morning (Exodus 16:12). Also, Moses met the Lord on the mountain early in the morning as a habit (Ex. 19:16; 24:4; 34:4). The priests were instructed to offer sacrifices in the morning (Leviticus 6:12, 20; 7:15). Joshua would get up early in the morning to meet the Lord and do what God called on him to do (Joshua 3:1; 6:12; 7:16). In the Psalms, morning is a set time for prayer (Psalm 59:16; 88:13). Jesus retreated into solitary places to pray, often before any other human being is awake yet (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16).

The start of people’s day is different than it has been for civilization before 1950s. Most people did not even own a refrigerator until after World War II. Being a morning person was something you wouldn’t ask anyone, but would rather know everyone who works is up in the morning. This is a far cry from today. You don’t necessarily need to work in the morning in order to work. You can work in the afternoon or the night. All this has happened because we have electricity. This was all put into perspective for us in Toronto near the end of 2013 when the ice storm hit. We realized that days without power started causing us to question what we can do to pass the time. The shoring up of electricity for people living is a major reason for urban life looking the way it does today. Consider as well that many people lived in rural towns and woke up at the crack of dawn to start their day. Waking up with the sun was the way everyone around the world used to live. Not anymore. We rely on alarm clocks to help us get up since we are able to stay up late into the night because we have lights to do that. Living in the 21st century is radically different than ages gone by.

So what then of the morning devotional? We realize this might not be as mandatory as it used to be. The biblical leaders who connected with God in the morning did so because the sun would rise and that would be how you start your day. There is wisdom in waking up with God the one you attend to. In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this point:

“It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind.”

Note where it all begins is when we open up our eyes. We must learn submission by attending to God. Listening to His voice, knowing fully well we have an agenda packed with activities for the day ahead. Why not make it your discipline to wake up with Jesus the One you will listen to by reading the Bible and praying? Start your day in such a way that the rest of day is shaped by your moments with God.

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