Just about every morning, one or both of my two youngest boys wakes us up to crawl in bed for a morning snuggle. It is pretty easy to predict how the day will go for them by how they act in those early morning minutes. If they are whiny, or argumentative, or sullen, it’s going to be one of “those days”. If they are cuddly, or silly and playful, or asking about what they get to do today, it is likely to be a good day.

The sovereign LORD has given me the capacity to be his spokesman,
so that I know how to help the weary.
He wakes me up every morning;
he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do.
– Isaiah 50:4

Isaiah had it right. Our countenance, our outlook, our focus for the day, is often set in those early morning moments. If the first thoughts in our mind are, “Oh, no. Not another day!” or “I hate mornings, I don’t want to go to work!” then it  is likely that our “prophecy” will be fulfilled and it will be a bad day.

If, however, we wake with Him on our mind, and acknowledge that He has something special for today, then it is just as likely that it will be fulfilled and we will see God’s hand in our lives.

I usually wake up telling my Father, “Good morning”, ask Him to open my eyes to the provision He has for me and my family, tell Him that I will be open and expecting an opportunity to share the Good News of His son with someone, and thank Him for His Word and the chance to know Him better through it.

Try this. When you go to bed in the evening, ask the Holy Spirit to wake you up in the morning, before your alarm clock rings. Ask Him to remind you who your provider is and where your hope is. Ask Him to full you with a hunger for His word that will over power your normal hunger for coffee and a bagel.

When it happens, and it will, thank your Father for the wake up call. Remember that He will be faithful to open His Word to you and give you a gem to start your day with. Then get your butt out of bed, and, start the coffee (your spouse will thank you!) and open a good book – The Good Book.

If you take this challenge, leave me a comment about what happened!