Morning--the gate of the day

 

 "Let me hear in the morning of Your steadfast love, for in You I trust. Make me know the way I should go for to You, I lift up my soul." Ps.143:8

"The morning is the gate of the day, and should be well guarded with prayer. It is one end of the thread on which the day's actions are strung, and should be well knotted with devotion. It we felt more the majesty of life we should be more careful of its mornings. He who rushes from his bed to his business and without worship is as foolish as though he had not put on his clothes, or washed his face, and as unwise as though he had dashed into battle without arms or armor."  Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"We are silent in the early hours of each day, because God is supposed to have the first word, and we are silent before going to sleep, because to God also belongs the last word. We are silent solely for the sake of the word, not in order to show dishonor to the word but in order to honor and receive it properly. Silence ultimately means nothing but waiting for God's word and coming away blessed by God's word...Silence before the word, however, will have its effect on the whole day."  Dietrich Bonhoeffer

How I love the early mornings! Now granted, I'm a "morning person," but all of us have the choice what we will do with our mornings upon first awakening. Will we waste those early, quiet minutes with busyness and chores? Will we fritter away those precious moments in mindless scrolling?  Will we fill them up with noise--the noise of TV's or phones or computers? I've always loved (and been convicted by) C.S. Lewis' quote in Screwtape Letters, where the "senior demon" Screwtape advises his mignon, Wormwood, on the great value of nonstop noise to distract and drive humans away from God:

 "Music and silence–how I detest them both!….[Hell] has been occupied by Noise–Noise, the grand dynamism, the audible expression of all that is exultant, ruthless, and virile–Noise which alone defends us from silly qualms, despairing scruples and impossible desires. We will make the whole universe a noise in the end….The melodies and silences of Heaven will be shouted down in the end."

During these pre-dawn mornings during Advent, in particular, I've been encouraged afresh of the wonder and beauty of our Savior. Of the life-giving, attitude-altering, wisdom-filling importance of spending time each morning with Him first by reading His Word before any other reading or listening or "doing." Allowing Him to imprint our day with His Spirit and His Word rather than allowing the multitude of other voices overwhelm us. It really is true: what we read or hear first truly can have a profound effect on our whole day. 

On this third Sunday in Advent, might we be determined anew in this coming year to make His voice the first thing we listen to and heed each morning. Let Him and His Word imprint our days with hope, wisdom, and joy.  May we, like the psalmist, wait upon the Lord and put our hope in His Word. (Ps.130:5) 

To God be the glory.