“My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.” Psalm 130:6
“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.” Psalm 143:8
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35
There is something about being up early, when it is still dark, that contributes to expectancy for the day. Seeing little at all but an ink black sky dotted with sleepy stars sets the mind to wanting more, and morning. As the first hues of light announce the curtain rising, all eyes are on the east. At the first hints of her glorious entrance, the heart beats more quickly, the mind focuses in anticipation at the resplendence about to appear. No two days are the same, but there is a lilt of the soul, a quickening of the pulse, and what God will bring forth in any one.
If we choose to remain in a slumber of complaint and ingratitude, of monotonous routine or a sense of frustration because we’re not doing what we want, we miss out on the hopeful expectancy for God to show up and make beautiful and wonderful the hours before us. If we choose to wallow in a fog of emotions we cannot shake, a stupor of angst or anger or resentment, our eyes will be clouded and unable to discern His ‘this is why, learn of Me, I’ll lead you on.’ Prolonging a self-imposed night of the soul inhibits spiritual growth and makes us unpleasant company. Who wants to grope in the dark when you can be exhilarated by a dawn of God’s making?
When we see our days, our nation, the world, through the lens of expectancy, the Holy Spirit gives us a keenness to look for what God is doing and to discern how He is orchestrating people and places and movements to bring about His holy and good plans. We rise on tiptoe to see the unfolding, excitement swells to be part of His kingdom work, to participate in ministry that is eternally fruitful. We begin to loosen our clench on the things of this world- false idols and meaningless pursuits- and to think differently and build for what lasts. We see that there is more to life than what we see, and we anticipate the eventual heavenly unveiling. (Matthew 6:19-21; 1 Corinthians 13:9-12; Colossians 3:1-2).
We step out of tedium and into significance, out of the temporal and into the eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
When do I sit and wait in expectancy for my Lord? What has changed, or do I desire to change, about my spiritual perspective? What has my God honed in the dark to inspire with fresh light? Am I looking?
Lord, I want your eyes and renewed hope every morning. May they motivate and drive my choices. Help me see as You see, love what You love, do as You would have me do, for the sake of Your kingdom and Your glorious name.
As the rain and snow 