When morning gilds the skies...

At first, I wasn't too excited to wake up at 5:00 this morning. But I just couldn't go back to sleep. So I laid there...and then that great hymn, "May Jesus Christ Be Praised," came to my mind and I just started singing it (out loud - much to the displeasure of the cat...):

"When morning gilds the skies, my heart awaking cries!
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised!"

I love that hymn - all fifteen verses of it. Too bad I don't have them all memorized...

Anyway, I digress. With praise in my heart I turned my attention to God's Word and was greeted with the pleasure of reading and meditating on Psalm 59 today. I came upon these words in verses 16-17:

"But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love."

What a blessing it is to truly live out God's Word! I now count it a joy to have sung of his steadfast love this morning. Just as sure as I am that I will be unfaithful to him in so many ways today, I am even more confident that his steadfast love (literally, his covenant faithfulness) will not fail me. The LORD loves me perfectly and for that I am grateful.

I pray that all of you will sing his praises today and take time to thank him for his steadfast love towards you!