What happens when you wake up?

This guest post is by Brian Fletcher of http://www.gospelchange.com Check out the great resources on his site.

When you wake up in the morning, what happens? What do you do? What is going through your mind? Most of us just get out of bed, some more slowly than others. Then we start our morning routine; brush teeth, get coffee (I have my coffee maker set on a timer so it’s ready when I wake up), put workout clothes on, go to gym, and so starts the day.

But should there be something else in that morning routine? Do you even realize that waking up is a blessing? And do you realize that this blessing is a gift of a loving and merciful God?

In Psalm 3, King David recounts running for his life from his son Absolom, who is trying to kill him. He is crying out to God to save him and keep him safe from his foes. In verse 5 David says,

“I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.”

David is under extreme duress, he is afraid that the army of Absolom will find him and kill him in the middle of the night. David can’t stay awake 24/7, he has to rest and sleep at some point. David is not taking for granted the fact that he was able to wake up from his sleep that day. He understands that his life is in the Lord’s hands.

When you wake up in the morning, do you understand that your life is in the Lord’s hands? Is your first thought, “is the coffee ready?” or is it, “Lord, thank you for sleep and for the blessing of waking up this morning.”

Most of us are under duress. Now, I am guessing that not many of us are worried that someone will kill us in the middle of the night, but we all have significant things going on in our lives that cause us to wonder if we even want to get up the next morning.

Do you ever struggle with getting out of bed? Are you fearful about facing the challenges of the day? Well, I want to encourage you because Jesus is here to help you. Here are three ways that Jesus helps you get out of bed and face the day.

1. Jesus has already conquered your enemies. In Psalm 3 King David is facing physical enemies who may take his life. When I read the Psalms and begin to relate them to my life, I don’t see the physical enemies as much as I see the spiritual enemies. I struggle with the enemy of my sinful passions. My enemies are the consequences of sin, my own sin and just living in a sinful world.

This is when I have to believe that Jesus has already conquered the enemy of sin in my life. This is when I have to believe that Jesus has taken my sin upon himself and clothed me in his righteousness. This is when I will believe that Jesus will give me strength to fight my selfish desires and live for His glory instead.

And if for some reason, I do have a physical enemy that does kill me, I have the confidence that even physical death is not the last word for me. Physical death is merely an entryway into the arms of Jesus forever.

2. Jesus will sustain you today. No matter how difficult things get, Jesus will never leave you or forsake you. No matter how dark your life is, Jesus is a light that will invade your heart to encourage and guide you.

Jesus causes us to wake up in the morning for a reason. Your waking up every morning is not just about you waking up and realizing you are alive, it’s about you waking up to worship and glorify God. Jesus has work for you to do, He has people for you to love. Jesus has disciples for you to make. Jesus has people that he will reconcile to himself, but he will use you in the process.

So, each morning when you wake up, thank the Lord for his gift of life, thank him for the blessings he has given you, worship him for the mercy and grace he shows you every day. Wake up and believe this gospel of Jesus that has conquered your enemies, that will sustain your life and encourage you to get on with what God has called you to do today.

Wake up and rejoice in this gospel that changes everything!