First Thing in the Morning
We are creatures of habit. Habits help us through our day. We can do a similar task without having to be fully engaged in that habit easier than when we are doing something “out of the norm.”
Think about your morning routine. What are the things you do every morning? Is it a well-rehearsed routine or is each morning a different adventure? In our house, since we are not trying to get kids up and ready, the weekday morning routine is the same almost every day. There is an occasional day that looks different, but normally not much deviation. Our weekend morning routine follows a different pattern than during the week, but those two mornings don’t change much week to week either.
Mornings are an important time of day. Before facing the day, before our feet hit the floor, we should have a routine of looking into the face of God. We should begin each day seeking God and His strength; the strength we will need to do whatever it is we will be doing that day. We should not begin the work or leisure of the day until we have had a few quiet moments with God. Speaking from experience, this wake-up time with God is not a guarantee that the day will go bump-free, but rather, it does give us what we need to take on anything and everything that comes our way.
Today I want to look at Exodus 32. To give some context for this section of scripture – Moses had gone up Mount Sinai to meet with God and receive two tablets which contained the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:1-24:18). Chapter 32 picks up that story, interrupted for a few chapters (25-31) in which we read about the Tabernacle. This chapter (32) contrasts two very different images – the presence of God on the mountain and the utter depravity of the people on the desert floor. As Moses comes down off the mountain, he can hardly believe what he sees. The Israelites were falsely worshipping a golden calf. Not only that, but they were also dancing and having a jolly old time doing so.
He had just pled with the Lord to preserve his people, despite their rebellion and disobedience, and as he came down from meeting with God, what he saw made him quite angry. So much so, that he broke the two tablets containing the Law. The breaking of the tablets symbolized the breaking of God’s covenant by the people. Moses also quickly broke up the calf and put an end to the festivities. I encourage you to read this story in its entirety. Click here to find the full text.
After Moses broke the first two tablets in a fit of rage (32:19), God instructed him to chisel out two new ones and meet with him. Here is what we read in Exodus 34:1-3 – “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Chisel out two new stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that whereon the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on the top of the mountain. No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in the front of the mountain.”
Notice what God said to Moses. He wanted time alone, just He and Moses, first thing in the morning, before his feet hit the floor.
Jesus was known to get up early in the morning to spend time with His Father. We find this in Mark 1:35 – “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
And David, in Psalm 5, looks for a crack of dawn encounter with God. In v.3 we see these words – “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
So, why not have a morning routine that begins, before your feet hit the floor, with an appointment with God! By doing so, you can have a day influenced by His character and under His control!
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