Rise, Cry, and Hope

147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words (Psalm 119:147)

There is a certain holiness to the early morning. A still pond waiting for the cannonball. This is when our Lord is found, in peaceful silence and rested mind. In this time, we cry for help from the only one who is stronger than the tasks that fill our schedule. When we ask for help, it is always from one who is in a position of power. May we view God as how he truly is – completely in control and powerful.

I feel like marriages and friendships end when we lose that “wow” factor. We treat as common what once blew us away. The greatest exercise of our faith is found in the complete soul-shaking awe found only in our creator. When we treat our marriages or God as common, then we are setting it up for an all too common ending. We then must find awe inducing exercises to stir our affections. For the Psalmist, this meant waking, crying, and hoping. It was an intentional step, not toward convenience, but duty shaped by desire. It shouldn’t surprise us that we get out of our relationship with God what we put in. He is never changing but always challenging.

Today, see Christ as above the common. See him as incredibly holy and “wholly other”. Fall in love, fall in wow, and fall in grace for the one who helps his children with great affection and care. Rise, cry, and hope.