WAKING UP TO GOD’S PRESENCE
(Thursday, November 2)
“O God, my God, unto You I rise early at dawn. My soul has thirsted for You; how often has my flesh longed after You in a land barren and untrodden and unwatered. So in the sanctuary have I appeared before You, to see Your power and Your glory…” (Ps 62:1-2, LXX)
This morning I am reading this Psalm at 4:15 a.m., in a beautiful little apartment that my gracious hosts have provided for me in San Anselmo, California. It is *the* Morning Psalm in various liturgical traditions, reminding us to take note, from the moment we wake up, of the proverbial hole in our hearts. Our hearts are “a land barren and untrodden and unwatered,” before we wake up to God’s presence and step into His light, in some heartfelt prayer.
If we feel a bit groggy or disoriented when we wake up, or if our vision of the coming day is blurred and burdened with concerns or even dread, this Psalm nudges us toward “the sanctuary” of God’s presence, which is everywhere. For us, it can be anywhere, where we choose to appear before Him, to “see” His power and glory. Let me let myself “see” this morning, in faith, the power and glory of One who sees me and has faith in me, so I don’t attempt to carry the burdens of my world on my insufficient shoulders, on my own. O God, my God, unto You I rise early at dawn. Yours is the power and the glory, this Thursday morning and forever. And thank You for all of it. Amen!
