Many of the men in my family have loved to rise early.
My maternal grandfather awakened the dawn by sitting on the wrap-around porch of his old farmhouse and watching the sun rise above the pines that surrounded the neighboring fields.
My paternal grandfather awakened the dawn too, but for a different reason. He was a delivery man—first ice, then milk, and finally ice cream. All required getting up early and getting on the road.
My son is now a delivery man also. He rises long before dawn to load his truck and head out to various stores.
My dad also loved to awaken the dawn. For an hour or more, he prayed and read his Bible. We knew better than to bother him.
I, too, have been awakening the dawn for quite some time. Even when I have no reason to get up early, I still do. I use the morning hours to write, reflect, meditate, and build my social media platform.
The psalmist rose early as well. If we take the verse literally, he must have played his musical instrument as the early morning light spread across the pastures while he watched his father’s sheep. And later, as he ran from a jealous, angry king.
Some are not morning people, so it’s not a sin to meditate, pray, and read God’s Word at other times during the day or night. But it is something special about spending time with God in the early morning hours before dawn’s first light.
The early morning gives time to reflect on the things of the previous day and to ask God to prepare us for the day ahead. We might not know what the day holds, but we do know God holds the day. We need His wisdom. And as darkness turns to light, we can remind ourselves that we worship the mighty God who makes this happen and gives us a fresh start each day.
We can awaken the dawn in many ways, but incorporating some form of worship will change our perspective on the day.
What are some ways you can include God as you awaken the dawn?
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author who has been published in numerous publications. He also serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net. He is the author of six books. His most recent book, Don’t Just Live...Really Live, was released in November 2021. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of six. He can be contacted at [email protected].