I believe King David was a morning person. He often wrote in his Psalms how God’s joy comes in the morning. Now, if you aren’t a morning person, don’t worry, this blog is still for you as well. It is in King David’s attitude towards God that we learn how to approach Him every day – no matter what time of day you are reflecting upon God. It is the renewal every morning of our hearts towards God that is important.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and your faithfulness by night. Psalm 92:1 & 2
In fact, here the Psalmist shows us that we are to give thanks to God for His lovingkindness in the morning, and His faithfulness for getting us through the day at night. In other words, we are to know deep down in our being that it is God, and God alone, who is with us always and keeps us safe every moment of every day.
This is especially true when we have had a really bad day. Have you ever had a day when you start out all bouncy and positive, and by the end of the day you feel like you have been punched in the gut, shot by an arrow and run over by a Mack truck, not once, but three times? Life can really be brutal. This is when it is really important for renewal every morning.
But as for me, I shall sing of your strength; yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, for You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress. Psalm 59:16
We need to remember that David knew a thing or two about having a really bad day. One day he is eating at King Saul’s table, fighting for him and helping him to relax by playing his harp. Before he could blink an eye, King Saul is hunting him down and trying to kill him. Depending on the source, it seems King Saul hunted David for about seven or eight years. That’s right, years! David didn’t just have a bad day, he had bad years! And still his renewal every morning of praise to God was given. It must have been a habit that David had developed.
In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3
David is like, the poster child for keeping a prayer journal. In the morning David presented his prayers to God and then watched for God to answer them. It’s important to understand that David doesn’t tell us God answered his prayers as David thought they should be answered, or when they should be answered. Instead, we see that he watched. We should do the same. If you have ever kept a prayer journal and gone back to read through how God has answered your prayers, I think you will agree with me that for some prayers, God answered them in a completely different way than we expected. And yet, we see, He answered our prayer in such a perfect way – a way we couldn’t have even fathomed when we made our request.
What is encouraging to notice while reading about David’s life, is that he wasn’t perfect. He knew he wasn’t perfect, but he knew that God continually loved him, no matter what. David understood God’s unconditional love for him, despite the fact that he did some things that really angered God. You know, like having a man killed so he could sleep with his wife.
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5
When God shows us how we have sinned, we need to repent and then accept His forgiveness. When we do these things, we have God’s joy. It’s really that simple. After all, God made each and every one of us and he knows we will make mistakes. God never asks us to be perfect, but He does ask us to believe in Him and trust Him with our lives. This may have been why God said that David was a man after His own heart (I Samuel 13:14).
Not only did David seek renewal every morning, he also meditated and learned from Him throughout the day. David understood that life could be hard and devastating, but if we truly trust God with our lives in all things, there will always be joy in the morning.
Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8
Photo Credit: Anton Foltin/Shutterstock
