She loves her daddy. There’s no doubt about it that my two-year-old granddaughter Nora is a Daddy’s girl. She always wants to know where he is. She wants to be in his lap or playing right next to him. She loves spending time with her Daddy.
My daughter Regan said that lately Nora has been so preoccupied about where her Daddy is that when Regan wakes Nora up in the morning, Nora’s first word when she opens her eyes is always, “Dada.” (As a point of reference, my granddaughter Haven must have my genes because Haven’s first word of the day is almost always “snack.”) No kidding! Lol!
Nora’s daddy is the first thing she thinks about when she opens her eyes in the morning. Needless to say, that makes my son-in-law very happy. He knows he is loved by his daughter and that she wants to spend time with him.
David had that kind of relationship with God. He wrote in Psalm 63, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you…on my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.” The watches of the night represented blocks of time in which guards began their duty in Roman culture. The spiritual parallel for both the Jews and Christians indicated a ceaseless contemplation of God throughout the night, being vigilant in prayer during a time of greater risk for danger. That fourth watch would be the time period of 3 am— 6am. It’s interesting to note that some very momentous spiritual things happened during that fourth watch of the night—Jacob wrestled with God, Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea, the angels appeared to the shepherds, Peter and Jesus walked on water, Jesus was resurrected from the dead, and I’m sure there are several others.
I have to admit I was a little convicted when I considered the spiritual parallel in my own life. Is my Heavenly Father the first thought on my mind when I wake up in the morning? Honestly, coffee usually hits my thoughts first! Yes, I spend time with Him in the morning, but I can’t say He is always the very first thought I have when I open my eyes.
Just as it made my son-in-law happy that Nora’s thoughts are focused on him when she wakes up, it must make God happy when my thoughts for the new day begin with Him, seeking Him out before I begin my day.
It’s a new goal for me, inspired by a two-year-old. When I awaken each morning, I want to talk to God before I head for my coffee. It might be a short conversation, but I want Him to have that first waking moment of my day. I can have more conversation with Him after my coffee, too! Like my son-in-law Weston, I want God to be happy knowing that He is loved by His daughter and that she wants to spend time with Him.
I always wake up early anyway. Instead of fighting to go back to sleep, I often feel that God just wants me to spend that special time, that fourth watch of the night, in prayer. There is something special about that early morning hour. No distractions. A clear mind for the day. Solitude with my Savior. In fact, today I signed up for a time slot for a twenty-four hour prayer vigil for a special family in deep need of prayer. I was happy to see an available time slot during that fourth watch of the night. My special time with Jesus.
I look forward to that time with Him. How about you?
Reflect:
What are your first thoughts of the day? Are you thinking about your to-do list? Maybe wishing you didn’t have to get up to go to work?
When do you usually have your first thoughts of God in the day? Or do you think about Him at all? Is He your first choice or is He put at the bottom of your list to get the leftover part of your day?
Dear God, You are a good, good Father. Thank you for caring for me better than any earthly father can. Help me to make You my biggest priority and to start my day with You. I want to spend time with you and live in a way that shows I love You. Amen.
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