Way Too Early

My watch said it was 1:30 a.m. That’s just too early to get up, so I laid there for another thirty minutes, hoping to go back to sleep but that didn’t happen. My mind was racing, so much to do in the next few days; I needed to write things down so I didn’t forget the little things.

Have you ever been there? I grabbed my robe and slippers, turned on the coffee, sat down with my notepad in hand and made my list. Honestly, I was surprised at what happened next.

After listing a few things that I knew had to be done, I sat quietly waiting for my next thoughts. These I will share with you. This list, that came to mind, is so much better than the chore list I had just written.

“Always be full of joy. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:17-19 ERV

Be thankful! So, I made a list of things I am thankful for at 2 a.m.

1. New Life when I was spiritually dead – Romans 3:23-24 “God makes people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. He does this for all who believe in Christ. Everyone is the same. ²³ All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness. ²⁴ They are made right with God by his grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ.”
2. Joy that replaces sorrow – Isaiah 61:3 “…I will give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I will give them the oil of joy instead of sorrow, and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of no hope.”
3. Peace in the middle of the storm – Mark 4:37 “Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm.”
4. Strength when I feel too weak to go on – II Corinthians 12:9 “But the Lord said, ‘My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.’ So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me.”
5. Hope when all seems lost – Romans 15:13 “ I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
6. Guidance when I’m not sure of what to do – Psalm 119:105 “Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take.”
7. Victory in Battle – I John 5:4-5 “Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. ⁵ No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.”
8. Forgiveness when I fall and healing from dis-ease – Psalm 103:3-4 “ He forgives all my sins. He heals all my diseases. ⁴ He saves my life from the grave. He crowns me with loving-kindness and pity.”
9. Never being left alone – Hebrews 13:5 “…for He has said, ‘I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!”

God is ALWAYS faithful to His word and because He is, it is always way too early to worry!