Psalm 30:5b (ESV) Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
Welcome to my new site, my friends. Every journey has a beginning. A first. And so, this first blog will include a little of my “first things first.” I hope it will inspire you to start some new “firsts” in your journey.
Grab a cup of coffee, friends, because you’ve just landed on my “Bible and Beans” blog. Please tell me you love coffee. I enjoy mine piping hot with a little heavy whipping cream. Mmm.
First, a story. During my teen years, my dearest friends knew better than to wake me before my alarm buzzed. Seriously, I think I frightened them; I’m grateful we are all still friends. I sincerely apologize to them now, for my surly morning attitude. Shout out to Cyndi, Heidi, Jill, Dee-Dee, Terri, Dianne, Shannon, and Jan. My beloved friends for life.
I never had joy in the morning. Not to mention, I always woke up exhausted. Over a decade ago, Beth Moore suggested in a bible study that I ought to pray to Jesus to wake me up early in the morning to meet with Him. “She is off her rocker if she thinks I’m waking up early,” I thought to myself.
Lack of sleep during those years of raising my kids left me zapped of energy and joy, too. Looking back, I can’t recall in those first 49 years of my life ever rising from my slumber to spend time in God’s Word. My Christian walk consisted of attending church, occasionally, and gathering with women for bible study, occasionally. Side confession: I always crammed my bible study lessons just to check it off the checkity-checklist.
I went about my days passing time with the really important things–like schedules, routines, kid’s and their sports, work, shopping, busyness, television. All these really important things left me empty, so I turned to food for my source of comfort and joy. I wore a mask of “happiness”, but the deepest part of my soul hungered for so much more.
Fast forward to my fiftieth year on this planet. I finally figured out the very thing my soul hungered for and it finally dawned on me as I began spending the first moments of my day, every single day in God’s Word. What an epiphany! My weeping tarried for five decades. That’s a long time if you ask me, but God’s timing is always perfect. Am I right, friend?
Back to my stories about my cranky morning self. Our God’s sense of humor is incredible. Through my weight loss journey, He completely changed up my sleeping patterns. Without an alarm buzzing, I began waking up daily around 5am. The best part? I jumped out of bed to pour and pray over His Word for hours in my quiet house. My friends, it is the delight of my life. It is the only thing I crave in my life now. The Bread of Life truly satisfies the longing in my soul. He has filled me with such joy, it sometimes leaves me speechless.
Incredibly, much like the theme of Psalm 30, in my weeping and distress I cried out to the Lord. And just like David, the Lord began a work of healing in me, leading me right back to crying tears of joy. Like David, I’m compelled to share this story of healing with the world. How wonderful and comforting to know our God will meet us in our distress and rescue us.
Truly, His joy comes in the morning by spending time in His Word. And this deep, abiding joy will carry you through each and every day, friends. Even the hardest of hard days. Picture yourself dancing as David danced in this delight.
Psalm 30:11 (ESV) You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness.
Are you dancing like David danced?
Think about this important time in the Word, friends. Will you set aside time each and every day with your bible and beans? If you can’t do first thing in the morning, carve out a protected time and let me know when you’ll delight in this daily encounter. It transformed my life, I trust it will impact you, too.
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Choose Joy,
Christine xoxo
