Hearing the Son as the Sun Rises

As I watch the sunrise this morning I am reminded of a devotion Connie shared with Mary and I.  Seeing a sunrise has never looked the same to me.  It never fails to rise.  It's a reminder of God's constant, unfailing love for us.

 

Oh, how often I need to be reminded of that!  I know it to be true deep within my heart and soul, but how quickly I tend to forget.

I've noticed I tend to forget it more often when I fail to spend less time with Him.  When I don't spend time sitting at the foot of the cross with great anticipation of what He has to say to me and to teach me next.  I forget it more easily when I'm not spending time in His Word.  It harder to remember when I fail to spend quiet time with Him in the early morning hours of my day.

My quiet time is food for my soul.  It's the most important meal of my day.  The early morning hours tend to be less distracting.  Just like I can hear the birds singing louder just outside my window as the sun begins to rise, I can also hear the Son speak louder to my heart. 

I am still here.  I was with you in the dark of the night, and I'm still near you as I guide in the light of day.  I haven't changed.  I'm still the same.  I will never leave you, and I will never let go of you. 

I don't think I've ever truly thought about why I can hear Him speak to my heart louder in the early morning hours until I started reading the book A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23.  At the beginning of May I began attending a bible study about this book a friend of mine is teaching. Psalm 23 will never have the same meaning to me.  Never will I see it just as the Psalm that is read at a graveside service.

I picked up the book this morning and was flipping through reading over all the highlighted words in pink.  There are so many of them.  It looks like I spilled a bottle of Pepto Bismol all over the inside of my book.

I being serious.

Chapter 4 ...

"... He leads me beside quiet waters." ~ Psalm 23:2

This jumped off of the page at me ...

"In the Christian life it is of more than passing significance to observe that those who are often the most serene, most confident, and able to cope with life's complexities are those who rise early each day to feed on God's Word.  It is in the quiet, early hours of the morning that they are led beside the quiet, still waters where they imbibe the very life of Christ for the day.  This is much more than mere figure of speech.  It is practical reality." ... "There, alone, still, waiting for the Master's voice, one is lead gently on the place where, as the old hymn puts it, 'The still dews of His Spirit can be dropped into my life and soul'." ... "One comes away from these hours of meditation, reflection, and communion with Christ refreshed in mind and spirit.  The thirst is slaked and the heart is quietly satisfied."

And as I turned the page ...

"He loves to see me contended, quiet, at rest, and relaxed.  He delights to know my soul and spirit have been refreshed and satisfied."

Darryl has said to me many times that he can tell when I'm spending more time in His word and listening to what He (that would be Christ, not him) is saying to me.  I can cope with life's troubles, heartaches and chaos far better than I can when I'm not putting all of my faith and trust in Jesus.

I hate to admit Darryl is right, but he is.

A friend asked me yesterday how am I?

"I am emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted!", was my reply.

I realized this morning there is something missing from that statement.  I have on many occasions added, "and spiritually exhausted".  Yesterday I left it out.

Why?

Because in the past 11 weeks and one day I have leaned harder on Jesus than ever before in my entire life.  Instead of running to Nathan or my friends, first I run to Jesus.

Don't misunderstand me.  Yes, I have run to my friends many times, but I've only run to the friends who point me to Jesus.  I know they pray for me.  They don't try to fix my brokenness, rather they carry me to the Healer.

And it is there, and only there, where I find the ability to take my next breath and the strength to do the next thing.  It's at the foot of the cross where I find His grace and mercy.

It is only in Jesus where I find my only hope and true peace.

"He loves to see me contended, quiet, at rest, and relaxed.  He delights to know my soul and spirit have been refreshed and satisfied."

Isn't that simply beautiful?

Just as beautiful as the sunrise He gives us every morning to remind us of the unfailing love of His Son.

"... He leads me beside quiet waters." ~ Psalm 23:2

It is in the quiteness of the early morning I can hear His truth speaking loudly to my heart.