Morning Mercies

Aren’t you glad that morning is a sure and certain thing?! 

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and I so love the morning. When I’ve had a rough night of pain, the darkness can seem so long, so suffocating, especially with me unable to move in bed because of my paralysis. Like the other night, I just could not get comfortable, even after Ken had gotten up several times to turn me. I kept looking at the clock, thinking the night would never end. But then, a little after 5:30 a.m., it was so good to finally see the dim light of dawn coming through the window. Just a hint of a shadow at first, but what a relief to know that morning was on its way. The night was over; and thankfully, I didn’t have to face those suffocating feelings anymore. 

The dawn of a new day brings new possibilities, doesn’t it? A new day also brings my girlfriends who bathe me, stretch, exercise my back before I get dressed and sit up in my wheelchair. Night is behind me and the morning is full of hope. And I’m a little like the psalmist who wrote in Psalm 30, “I wait for the Lord more than the watchmen wait for the morning.” 

And for you it may be the same. There are times when life seems to plunge us into one long, dark night. A special grief that lingers long; a bad medical report that turns into a chronic condition; or a deep rejection that continues to stay. But, friend, it doesn’t always have to be that way. However long the night seems, however suffocating the darkness, we’ve got confidence – we trust – we know that morning will eventually come. I mean, it’s a fact – a fact of astronomy – the night falls, the dawn awakens, the sun goes down, the sun comes up. Morning is a sure and certain thing. And just as certainly as the morning eventually comes, so, too, does God’s unfailing love break through. Just like morning is a promise, so is the unfailing love of the Lord. His mercies are new every morning.  

“I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning.” Wow. You know, that hope the Psalmist counted on is not wishful thinking; it is faith-based hope that is based entirely on the promises of God. Every morning stands ready to pour out its mercy and grace, fresh and firsthand – that’s a promise. Every morning God is ready to lead you into a day filled with eternal purpose – that’s a promise. Every morning God is ready to show you more of his Son, the Lord Jesus – and that’s a promise. And every morning brings you one day closer to heaven where there’ll be no more night, no more tears or sorrow – that is a promise. So never doubt in the darkness what you know to be true from the light of God’s Word. Samuel Rutherford once said that. Friend, the night won’t last forever, and neither will the pain. Wait for the Lord to take your hand and lead you out of the darkness and into the fresh morning of victory. 

Oh, and please know that we at Joni and Friends care about your struggles, too. Our staff gathers every morning to intercede on behalf of friends like you who contact our ministry in need of prayer. Whether it’s an upcoming surgery or a prodigal child gone astray or the salvation of a family member or a painful chronic condition for which you just need endurance, contact us today on my radio page at joniradio.org. We want to hear from you, and we want to join our Savior in heaven in interceding for your special needs. Again, just write us, your prayer request, at joniradio.org. And then, please keep us posted on how you’re doing and what’s going on. Thanks for listening! 

© Joni and Friends