As the Light of the Morning
On the first summer morning of the month of July in 1981, I gave birth to our first baby girl. Most mornings don’t bring the great, life-enhancing gift of a baby girl, but every morning brings gifts.
Morning is one of the first words in the Bible. “And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”
One morning Jacob awoke after dreaming of a ladder between heaven and earth, and he poured oil on the stone where he had laid his head (Genesis 28:18).
Morning after morning God provided the Israelites with manna as they traveled toward the Promised Land (Exodus 16:21).
One morning after another Joshua rose early in the morning and the priests carried the ark of the Lord around Jericho. On the seventh morning they rose at the “dawning of the day” and marched seven times. That day God made the walls of Jericho come down (Joshua 6:12-21).
When Gideon laid out a fleece of wool to be sure that God really would make him victorious over his enemies, he rose early in the morning and saw the miracle God had done with the fleece and the dew (Judges 6:36-40).
Ravens brought Elijah bread and meat every morning (I Kings 17:6).
Early in the morning Nehemiah began to read the Word of God to the Israelite men and women who had returned from captivity in Babylon (Nehemiah 8:3).
One “early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there” (Mark 1:35).
Some women went to Jesus’ tomb early one morning and Jesus was not there! (Luke 24:22-23)
No matter what kind of morning we had yesterday or what kinds of mornings we have had for weeks or months or years, this morning is a new gift from the Creator of the universe. David, “the sweet psalmist of Israel,” assured us that “weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
Near the end of his life, King David shared some words that God had spoken to him:
He who rules over men righteously,
Who rules in the fear of God,
Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
When the tender grass springs out of the earth,
Through sunshine after rain.
2 Samuel 23:3-4
As we live this day as the “queens of our home,” may we lead righteously and be like morning to our families.
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23