Are you an early riser, one who loves the first glimmer of light and greets the day with enthusiasm? Or do you enjoy the stillness of late nights, seeing the sun come up only because you never went to bed? The early bird starts the day with a hearty Good morning, Lord! While the night owl, annoyed at eagerness before caffeine, grumbles Good Lord, it’s morning.

I consider myself a mid-morning person. I tend to rise early, and do my best work before noon. I slog away late into the evening sometimes, but that’s not my preference. My wife is definitely a morning person (even in college she went to bed before 10:30).

I often feel that the morning people among us have co-opted this verse as their own: This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Heard early enough and loud enough, I tend to rebel. But with coffee and reflection, I realize the psalmist meant this truth for all of us.

Today’s day, indeed this very morning as I type and deal with clogged sinuses from seasonal allergies, comes to me as a gift from God. I may never get another. I live an imperfect life in a fallen world, surrounded by challenges. But opportunities and blessings encircle me as well. This verse reminds me to start my day with gratitude, thankful for the Lord’s good hand in my life.

Whether my prime time starts at sun up or sun down, it’s good for me to pause and thank the Lord for another day, regardless of what may come with it.

Psalm 118:24

Photo by Jonas Weckschmied