Proverbs 27:14
If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.
Even Bible writers revered sleep. So, raise your hand if you’ve ever had this thought:
I don’t know who had the idea of early morning school schedule but it sure wasn’t a teenager.
Unless you’re in the select minority that thrives on mornings, our guess is you are not a fan of the early alarm. Yet, we have to abide by it, especially during the school year. But does it have to be drudgery? Maybe a little Bible perspective can help. But do not fear: this is not a challenge to get up earlier, but to help you make the best of it whenever the alarm goes off.
1. Digging In (God, Show Me!)
As you read these verses, do a couple things:
- Notice references to mornings.
- Notice what’s happening in the mornings.
- If you’re on an e-device, you may want to select/highlight these things.
- If you can print out the verses, draw a rising sun over the references to morning and underline the things that are happening in the morning.
Proverbs 4:18
The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Psalm 5:3
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Psalm 59:16
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
Psalm 90:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
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.
Luke 24:1-2
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
2. Taking It Inward (God, Teach Me!)
What’s your take on the value Scripture places on mornings? Why do you think mornings are such a big deal?
How would you currently rate your morning mind-set on these scales?
Ready for the day 5 4 3 2 1 Ready for more sleep
Thinking about God 5 4 3 2 1 Thinking about breakfast
Motivated/energized 5 4 3 2 1 Stumbly/lethargic
How can you infuse some of Scripture’s early morning energy into your morning mind-set?
3. Seal the Deal (God, Change Me!)
Apparently God is a morning person. Maybe it’s because our minds aren’t yet full of the day’s distractions and God knows He has a better chance of our hearing His quiet voice.
Here’s a thought: Embrace the morning. Lean into it. Use the sleepiness as a reminder of the morning actions of these verses. And here’s the kicker: you can do this without waking up one minute earlier. Of course, maybe God is calling you to connect with Him in the morning in a way that would require an earlier wake up. Maybe that’s why you’ve come across this devo?
Choose one of the morning actions from these verses to be a part of your morning ritual. You can do any of these while you’re showering, brushing teeth, etc.:
Pray: lay your requests before God.
Think about Jesus’ resurrection.
Sing (with your mouth or in your heart) about God’s strength.
Meditate on God’s righteousness as soon the first moment you see the light of the sun.
Final Challenge: Set reminders (in your phone or calendar) to read these verses throughout the morning until 12 noon, the official end of morning. Do this for the next seven days. Then on Day 8, re-rate yourself on the morning mind-set scales above. See if your attitude toward morning (and life in general) has improved.