mercies fresh every morning Archives

Have you ever gotten up in the wee hours to see night slip back into its closet and the sun break out of its dark cocoon…just to watch God make a morning?

I have.

As the first shards of dawn’s light fell abruptly through the slits of the bedroom blinds, they so rudely awakened me. Before I was ready to be awake.

But I got up…quietly. And dressed.

Wrapping my fuzzy, blue blankey around my shoulders and walking outside into the cool, dawn air, I watched God make a morning.

A gentle wind brushed against my cheeks as the fragrance of a multitude of blossoms filled the air. The cooing of turtledoves gently infringed on the silence of the morning.

As the horizon released the sun, soft wisps of yellow, rose, and coral, mingled with the delicate blue sky.

The glimmer of the sun’s rays filtered through the leaves of the towering birch trees, as it pooled on the ground like celestial stepping stones, as if beckoning me into the Lord’s presence.

Then, the Lord whispered to my soul, “Come humbly to Me in morning’s light.”

While all this beauty saturated my soul with awe, the sweetness of God’s presence filled my heart with His peace and comfort and wrapped its warmth around me just like my fuzzy blanket.

I began to whisper the words of this song…

Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more–
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

God’s morning mercies are new every day; they arrive with the appearance of sunrise. Each day is a fresh start. No carry-overs from the day before. Whatever we have endured in the dark of night, “The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.” (Lam. 3:22-23 GNT)

Each morning presents us with an empty vessel, waiting to be filled with our words, our thoughts, and our actions. What sets the standard for these is our attitude upon awakening.

Each day should start with a positive and grateful heart, for it will affect how we treat our children, our spouses, our friends, our neighbors, our co-workers, and even strangers.

Spending time with the Lord in the morning sets our day on the right course, and we receive His guidance, strength, and comfort to face whatever will come our way for the next 24 hours.

Make David’s words your prayer, “Let me hear of Your unfailing love to me in the morning, for I am trusting You. Show me where to walk, for I have come to You in prayer,” and “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” (Ps. 143:8 NLT, Ps. 5:3 NKJV)

A bright new opportunity arises for each of us with every sunrise. What do we do with it?

Do we greet the Lord before we start our day? Do we have a negative or positive attitude as soon as our feet hit the floor?

Someone once said, “Blessed is the day whose morning is sanctified!”

Have you ever gotten up in the concluding hours of night to see the Master Artist paint the sky with His palette of glory? To allow His light to dawn upon your soul? To receive His guidance for the day? To take delight in your Beloved?

Get up early someday. Go watch God make a morning and receive your morning mercies.

“Be ready in the morning to…present yourself to Me.”
(Ex. 34:2 TLB)

Morning mercy blessings to you…Lynn

In the chill of the evening, they stroll to the Mount of Olives.

Along the way, Jesus talks to the disciples, preparing them for the coming ordeal, and says, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night.”1

Peter stops dead in his tracks, turns to Jesus and declares, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”2

Laying His hand firmly on Peter’s shoulder, Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat, but I have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not completely fail. So when you have repented and turned to Me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers.”3

He continues, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know Me.”4

Peter, grasping Jesus’ hand and falling at His feet, cries out, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”5

Leaving this area, they all head for the garden of Gethsemane, with Peter following Jesus so closely that He can detect Peter’s breath. The events of the evening, known only to Jesus, begin to play out. The soldiers arrive and arrest Jesus, then lead Him away with Peter in tow.

On their way to appear before Caiaphas, the soldiers stop before the assembled chief priests and scribes in the high priest’s courtyard. Peter slips over to join the servants warming themselves by the fire in the courtyard.

Three accusations unfold, followed by three denials.

And then…

…cock-a-doodle-doo!

The words of his precious Lord echo through Peter’s mind and stab him in the heart: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

The saddest moment of Peter’s life is then exacerbated as the Lord turns and looks at him.

Gasp!

Oh, what a look that must have been. And “Peter went out and wept bitterly.”6

How chilling that crow must have sounded; how grievously Peter’s heart must have pounded.

Was that the end of the crowing? Doesn’t a rooster crow each morning?

Wouldn’t that cock-a-doodle-doo pierce Peter’s ears and heart each dawn as the enemy’s condemnation, a reminder of his failure?

But wait! What was that noise three days later…on resurrection morn? Didn’t the cock crow that daybreak also? Did Peter’s heart change that day?

In the years that followed, did he continue to hear that daily crowing as the enemy’s memento of opposition to his heart’s desire to serve the Lord or as the Lord’s resurrection reveille to rise up out of despair and serve Him?

Does the enemy crow in your ear? What does he bellow at you? Condemnation of your past? How unworthy you are? What a stupid thing you did? You’re a failure? Why would anyone want to hear what you have to say? You’re a lost-cause at business? You’re a terrible spouse or parent?

Or do you hear that triumphant shout of resurrection morn? Telling you that you have victory over your past? That the Lord gives you strength for each task? That you are blessed beyond measure? That you are loved more than you can comprehend? That you are a delight to your heavenly Father’s heart? That you can do all things through Christ?

Does each dawn’s awakening cry encourage you, as “His mercies begin afresh each morning”?7

Which crow are you listening to…the enemy’s attempts to crow in opposition to all that you do, or the Lord’s resurrection reveille to rise up out of despair and serve Him?

1) Matt. 26:31a NKJV
2) Matt. 26:33 NKJV
3) Luke 22:31-32 TLB
4) Matt. 26:34 NLT
5) Matt. 26:35 NKJV
6) Luke 22:62 NKJV
7) Lam. 3:23 NLT

Hooking up with…
Jennifer Dukes Lee
Holley Gerth
Carissa Shaw
The Missional Call
3-D Lessons for Life
Equipping Godly Women
Sandra Heska King’s Still Saturdays

Have You Ever Watched God Make a Morning?

Does the Cock Still Crow?

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