The Morning Watch

Now if the firstfruits offered up are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Romans 11:16 hcsb

The morning hours can feel almost sacred. It is the beginning of the day, before family members wake up, before schools and stores are open, and before the cars and trucks get on the roads and highways. For the person who struggles with feelings of sadness or depression, the morning hours can be a struggle. Before we’ve even opened our eyes, we might have already begun to think and worry, thereby setting the tone for the day. But spending even a few moments with God during those early morning hours can bring us tremendous blessings and provide new strength to face the day ahead.

Time with God might be the last thing some of us want to hear about when we’re struggling with depression. We don’t feel like spending time in our Bibles or in prayer. But by starting the day with him, we align ourselves with God and his plans for us. We might not agree with the circumstances we find ourselves in, but we can agree with the One who allowed those circumstances and will bring about a healing for his glory and in his timing.

Why is morning a good time to spend moments with God? Because it is a time before anything else gets in the way. When we awake, we should take a minute—pause before we face the symptoms that slow us down—to acknowledge that God has given us another day. The time with him is just a moment to look at ourselves in God’s mirror (symptoms and all!), and see ourselves as God sees us. Doing this can set the right tone for the day, regardless of our initial mood.

The amount of time we spend with Jesus, meditating on his Word and his majesty, seeking his face, establishes our fruitfulness in the kingdom.

Charles Stanley

Ten minutes spent in the presence of Christ every day, aye, two minutes, will make the whole day different.

William Henry Drummond

I ought to pray before seeing any one. …Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says: “Early will I seek thee.”… I feel it is far better to begin with God—to see his face first, to get my soul near him before it is near another.

Robert Murray M’Cheyne

For Further Reflection

Psalm 5:3; Psalm 88:13; Psalm 143:8

Today’s Prayer

Lord, getting out of bed is challenging enough. Each day as you wake me, please help me to remember to acknowledge you, even if it’s simply with a “good morning.” Amen.