Sing for Joy

"O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." 
Psalm 90:14

Nothing satisfies so fully as a relationship with Jesus Christ. To wake in the morning knowing that He is with us, that His eternal light will illumine our path no matter what darkness may befall us in these next 24 hours. In Him there is satisfaction that can never come from earthly treasures. For He is abundantly rich in love and kindness and His mercies endure forever. He is our joy. His spirit gives us a song of praise to sing back to Him. Sing for joy!  For whatever days we have to live, they will be filled with gladness if we remember the love of our Savior.

The Gift of Praise

"It is good to give thanks to the LORD

         And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 

    To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning

         And Your faithfulness by night, 

    With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,

         With resounding music upon the lyre."

Psalm 92:1-3

Day and night the Lord watches over His children. There is no time when He is not with us. As Christians, His very Spirit lives within us, strengthening us and bringing joy to our hearts. We have the gift of praise to lift up to Him in response to His love and faithfulness. God does not judge our musical abilities. He's not impressed with our talents, nor critical of the lack of them. He wants our honest praise, no matter how we present it. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Eager Learners

"And all the people would get up early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him." 

Luke 21:38

Jesus is in Jerusalem, teaching daily in the temple. The scribes and chief priests try to discredit Him, to no avail. The people rise early in the morning and flock to the synagogue to hear Him preach. They are eager to accept what He has to tell them. The Lord is still speaking to us today through scripture. I wonder if we are as anxious to learn from Him as those ancient people were.

Eager Expectation

"In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;

         In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch." 

Psalm 5:3

The majestic bull elk stands there in the early morning light, watching and listening. His harem is grazing under his attentive eye. All except one cow. She stands with her head held high, looking off into the distance as if she knows something the other females don't. So much of this scene reminds me of Psalm 5:3. The Lord is ever alert.   Even in the early morning hour, when others might be sleeping, the Lord is watching and listening. When I call to Him, He recognizes my voice immediately. I place my requests before Him and then look expectantly to see Him work in my life. Do you pray with a ho-hum attitude, not really expecting great things from God? Or do you pray in eager expectation of how He will answer?

He Commands the Morning

"Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place," Job 38:12

In his distress, Job presumes to explain God's ways to his friends. There is much discourse that results and finally God interrupts to question Job, exposing his ignorance and that of his compadres. Job is humbled, as he should be. There is none like the Almighty God. His power is limitless. Even the dawn is subject to His command. 

In the Morning

"I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words." Psalm 119:47

What a joy it is to wake up in the morning and know that the Lord is waiting for us. In the morning light we can meet with Him and tell Him what's on our minds. If we have a need, we can request His help and then watch in eager anticipation to see what He will do. All praise and honor belong to the God who hears our petitions.