Gen 48:2 And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.
I have a recliner. It’s my chair. I let others sit there, but I’m who you will find there most of the time. My laptop is often by my chair. My books and Bible are by my chair. My tissues and water bottle are by my chair. My earphones are by my chair. My yarn bag is by my chair. I can spend hours in that chair daily. But then I have to get up.
It can be so hard to get up. It can feel like there is a literal weight on me keeping me from getting up. I can need, like Jacob, to summon my strength, rally myself to get up. Other times I jump up. What’s the difference? The reason I’m getting up.
What gets you up? What’s important?
How quick are you to get out of bed in the morning? I can spring out of bed. Why? I have a miracle story for that.
There were years when I was nursing, that I would do my quiet time in the middle of the night and then go back to sleep. I eventually asked the Lord if I could do my quiet time in the morning instead (though I did go back to middle of the night with the next baby, for a time). I would get up around 5 (naturally, no alarm) and have until 8 for my quiet time.
After the next baby, I would get up when I woke up. I asked God if I could not get up unless it was at least 4AM. If it was 3:59, I would quick close my eyes, so I wouldn’t see it turn 4:00. I woke up around 4 for years, again, no alarm. I just got up when I woke up. I would drag myself out of bed by saying to the Lord, “Only ‘cause I love you.”
I eventually, years later and now in America, started getting up at any time when I woke up, usually between 3:30 and 4:30. But in 2021, I started waking up at times like 1 and 2. I asked the Lord if He was really asking me to get up for the day at times like 1AM! He answered.
The next morning I woke up and the first thing I saw was 3:37. If you turn that upside down, it’s my name. I saw it right away. He was calling to me. I got up. The next morning was the same, and the next, and the next. All week the first thing I saw was 3:37. On the last day of the week, I woke up and it was light outside. I was relieved to have slept in. I rolled over and the clock read 3:37! It was blinking. The power had gone out and God so perfectly timed it that it was showing 3:37 when I woke up with the sun out. He is so good!
He used that to teach me that it wasn’t about getting up super early, but about delighting to go to Him and trusting Him. So, there are times I get up at five and times I get up at midnight! But my God wants to be with me, so I want to go and be with Him! And we just spend time together.
Does your delight in the Lord get you out of bed?
The Tribulation 