Before Dawn Breaks

Before the sun. Before the day arrives with its demands. The psalmist was awake before dawn, crying out.

We don't need to romanticize the early hours. Not all of us are morning people. Some of us need a cup of coffee before we can form an intelligible sentence. That's fine.

But the heart of this verse isn't about the hour — it's about the priority. Before the day arrives, before the to-do list appears in your head, before the world begins making its demands: I was already with God.

And after crying out, the psalmist waited. "I hoped in thy word." He didn't rush off to fix things. He stayed. He waited for God's answer.

Sometimes our problem is that we pray and immediately go do something. As if we didn't trust that God will act unless we help Him along. But true prayer has a place of waiting. A silence where God speaks.

He cried out. He waited. It's a good rhythm for beginning the day.