“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” “We have the prophetic word.., to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Numbers 6:24-26; Psalm 30:5; Luke 1:76-79; 2 Peter 1:19
Thick fog hugged the ground along the highway, sun turned periwinkle dark to creamy morn. I wondered at the low-lying cloud. Day springs early, and often begins slow in body, mind, and spirit. Our energy from the previous day was spent, and night, while resting the warm ground under sleep’s sweet dew, was short, so rising to greet a new day can be foggy, damp with concern, unclear.
But the sun always lift the fog. It takes some time for its rays to brighten the air, to penetrate the mist and re-warm the air above the earth it feeds with life-giving light. Eventually, sometimes imperceptively, the fog dissipates, and everything is clear. Sight is restored, for both near and far, and the chill of the unknown is vanquished.
The light of God’s word, His personal voice to us, may take some time to break through the spirit damp with suffering, sorrow, disappointment, confusion, anger, or malaise. The Savior’s presence in our moments and hours will not always be felt, or overwhelm with perceptible power. But our Lord in His mercy has come to visit us in His splendor and light. Regular, consistent drinking in of His living word will have its warming, uplifting effect over time, and God’s abiding presence will certainly infuse us (maybe slowly) with deep comfort, significance, joy, purpose, assurance. (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)
As I hum along the highway of my day, will I slow down long enough to allow God’s light to burn for me and clearly light my path? When life is heavy and dim, will I prostrate myself and expose my every concern to the Son’s light, and stay until the fog lifts? Then may I sing with the morning.
Morning Star, rise in my heart and lift my fog this day. Burn Your truth into my mind and soul to remove any shroud of complacency and wandering. Clean clear away any disordered affections and detours from Your will, and restore proper vision and a whole heart, that Your glory is manifest in my every hour and my tongue sings Your praise.
As the rain and snow 