For the past week or so, I've been waking up between 4 and 5 in the morning. Experience has taught me that when it's consistent, God wants me to do something. In the past, it may be to sit outside as day breaks and just enjoy it with him. It may be to read His Word. It may be to pray for someone that I can't get out of my mind. It may be to bring me to an awareness of something that is going to or needs to change. Whatever the reason, if I do get myself up that early, within a few days, I find out why I'm being called so early.
Today I really felt the strong need to read the Word. I randomly opened to a few spots until I found the one that felt right. It was in Acts 7. I read the entire passage, which covered God's faithfulness even though troubling times still had to happen. It also spoke about the faith of Stephen, who gave his life while trying to save people by sharing about Jesus. The passage in itself wasn't the message I received though. It was about Stephen focusing (as he was dying) on Heaven; he saw Jesus standing there waiting for him. It was this glorious moment in time - and while I read that part - the sun finally broke over the horizon into brilliant light. With a dawn full of wildfire smoke, that light broke through without haze, without hinderance, without anything to diminish it's glorious light. For that one moment, it was like I could picture that moment when Stephen saw Jesus and saw his new home. What hope and peace and warmth that brought. And to think, I might have missed it just for another half hour of tossing and turning in a dark room. Obeying God's gentle nudgings are always so worth it! Like Psalms 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handywork."
