Awake, My Soul!

“My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
    Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!” Psalm 57:7-11

“I rise before dawn and cry for help;
    I hope in your words.
My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
    that I may meditate on your promise.
Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
    O Lord, according to your justice give me life.
They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
    they are far from your law.
But you are near, O Lord,
    and all your commandments are true.
 Long have I known from your testimonies
    that you have founded them forever.” Psalm 119:147-152

“Morning by morning he awakens;
    he awakens my ear
    to hear as those who are taught.” Isaiah 50:4

There are times when the blush of dawn overwhelms with emotion, choking the throat, glazing the eyes, stirring waves of gratitude for the undeserved beauty of God’s rich hues of grace. In these moments, when the soul feels ready to burst, and the quiet cannot be contained, the natural, and reasonable, and spontaneous impulse is to sing.

“Awake, my soul, and with the sun

thy daily stage of duty run.

Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise

to pay thy morning sacrifice.” ~Thomas Ken (1695)

I rise and open up his word,

to hear and converse with my Lord.

To know His grace and learn His love,

and set my mind on things above.

You have forgiven all my sin,

now make and keep me pure within

For since You died to set me free,

I won’t withhold myself from Thee.

With grace and truth please fill my mind,

and guide me in thy way divine.

Infuse my heart with holy light,

so I will cherish all that’s right.

I offer up to You my day,

and all I think and do and say.

My goods, my gifts for You to use,

my toil, my time as You so choose.

I long to know and be like Christ,

to love and serve, grow strong and wise

To speak His words and like Him see,

I raise my hands, ‘Here am I, send me.’

If this should bring me death or pain,

To live is Christ, to die is gain.

So come what may, favor or loss,

privileged I am to bear the cross.

And so I ready for each hour, 

  to live them in Thy heavenly power. 

Thy will to seek, thy love to share, 

  Thy fame and glory are my prayer.

(Numbers 24:15-16; Isaiah 6:8; Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:1-2)

Amen.