I recently posted about whether or not Christians should be early morning risers to do their devotions. If you missed that post, check it out here.
3) We see godly people rising early in other parts of the Bible.
Isaiah 26:9 says “in the morning my spirit longs for you.”
The Proverbs 31 woman rises early in verse 15 – “She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.”
This website provides several examples of godly people rising early in the Bible at the bottom of the page – from Abraham, to Issac, to Samuel, to David, to Mary… etc. And actually I got a lot of these verse references from there.
4) The Bible tells us that laziness is a very bad attribute to have.
Proverbs 6:9-11 says “How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man."
Romans 13:11-12 says “…the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (I don’t think this is meaning literally waking up from bed, but the idea is getting up from bed signifies spiritual diligence.)
Proverbs 6:6 says “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!”
I love gotquestions.org … it is just awesome. Anyways I’m just going to quote them here: Proverbs is especially filled with wisdom concerning laziness and warnings to the lazy person. Proverbs tells us that a lazy person hates work: “The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work” (21:25); he loves sleep: “As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed” (26:14); he gives excuses: “The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets’” (26:13); he wastes time and energy: “He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great waster” (18:9 KJV); he believes he is wise, but is a fool: “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly” (26:16).
Proverbs also tells us the end in store for the lazy: A lazy person becomes a servant (or debtor): “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor” (12:24); his future is bleak: “A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing” (20:4); he may come to poverty: “The soul of the lazy man desires and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” (13:4 KJV).
We get the idea. Let’s re-cap.
Laziness is bad, and rising early in the morning can be a good way to connect with the Lord, praise Him, meditate on His ways, etc. Dannah Gresh said that she thinks Christians should connect with the Lord and pray in the morning, but read their Bibles at whatever time is best for them in the day. For me, reading the Bible in the morning doesn’t go so well. I am unfocused, groggy, and just trying to get through it (which is never a good attitude to have while reading the Bible). The problem with that though is that it can be very easy to say “I’ll do it later because it’s not the best time for me to do it now” and then never do it. Consistency is key.
I have discovered that it works for me to wake up to my alarm and immediately switch on my Christian radio (SmileFM or Family Life Radio). Christian radio is not the same as reading the Bible or praying, but it does help me to at least get focused on the right things in the morning.
In all seriousness, I’m a freak when I first wake up. I have no sense at all for the first 15 minutes or so. So when I turn on the radio, I’m reminded of what Jesus did for me on the cross, how He is working in my life now, and how I should praise Him in everything I do. Then after I wake up a little, I’ll usually briefly pray. I’ve found praying in the shower works well too. :) Then a couple times a week I will read a chapter in the Bible. Psalms are good for me in the morning – they don’t take a lot of brain power to understand. ;) I could never jump into Revelation in the morning… I would get nothing out of it!
Then at night, I do the majority of my Bible reading. This is when I am focused, awake, and relaxed, and can actually comprehend what I’m reading.
This is just my routine that I’ve found works best for me. What is your routine? Maybe you’re an early riser and can just be Mrs. Proverbs 31 in the morning. Maybe you like to set apart time in the afternoon to read your Bible. Let me know in a comment below!
I hope you are having a marvelous Wednesday.
