Mercies are new in the morning

For at least one week, God has had me to wake at (almost) first light. I am impressed upon to spend time in His Word and with Him in prayer. Instead, however, I justify my desire to sleep longer and miss out on the opportunity to start my day in uninteruppted QUIET time (rare in my house) with God. How do I know that it is God who wakes me? I am in no way a morning person. In my whole life, the only way I wake up before 8:00 AM is with an alarm or with my children waking me up. I have been waking up before 7:00 most mornings.
Last night, I made it a point to tell myself that I would not miss that quiet time today. God is faithful. I awoke at 7:00 and I won't lie--it was a struggle to get myself out of the bed. I seriously had to fight the temptation to just go back to sleep.
Here I am, though, ready to share what God is teaching me this morning.

"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
Awake, my glory!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens
And Your truth to the clouds.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
Let Your glory be above all the earth."

Psalm 57:7-11

"But as for my, I shall sing of Your strenth;
Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindess in the morning,
For You have been my stronghold
And a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my strength, I will sing praises to You;
For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindess."

Psalm 59:16-17


Does God want me to spend time with Him "in the morning?" Oh yes, He does! Today I will revel in the glory of God! I will praise and worship Him all day! He is the rock I stand on. He will not fail me. Today I will just joy in knowing that God is guiding my next step. Am I still waiting on God? Yes. Is it still frustrating to not know what that next step is? Of course. But I have made that my focus. I have complained to anyone who will listen how frustrated I am. Oh the opportunities I have missed to joyfully sing of God's lovingkindess, His provision, His truth, and His guiding hands to those who would listen.
Don't let yourself become so wrapped up in the problems and the uncertain or unknown that you forget to give God all the glory, honor and praise He deserves!

"Oh God, you are my God, And I will ever praise you. I will seek you in the morning, And I will learn to walk in Your ways, And step by step, You lead me. And I will follow You all of my days."
-Michael W. Smith song Step by Step,