The Morning Watch

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:3, 4) “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19) Jesus said, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” (John 12:46) Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.  -Helen Howarth Lemmel

This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD. For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; From heaven the LORD viewed the earth, To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To release those appointed to death, To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, And His praise in Jerusalem, When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. (Psalm 102:18-22) And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. “And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.” (Exodus 4:29-31)  I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my fe...

                      Exodus 34:29-35 In this passage, God graciously gives Moses the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone, after the first ones were destroyed. As Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai after receiving them from the Lord, he did not know that the skin of his face was shining! So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, they were afraid to come near him. It was a sight they had not witnessed before.  Someone once said, “ You become like the one you worship .” David said in Psalm 16:11, “ In Your presence is fullness of joy…” Pharaoh took notice of Joseph’s relationship with the Lord when he said, “ Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God ?” (Genesis 41:38)  Indeed, “…it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)  Ho...

Exodus 35:21-35; Ephesians 4:4-16 The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the LORD, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done. (Exodus 35:29) “ He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver--those who do every work and those who design artistic works.” (Exodus 35:35) But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift . And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:7, 11, 12) “…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)  Gifted by God. What a privilege to be a channel in the h...

Moses was pleading with God for His presence as the Israelites journeyed to the promised land. So the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and  I know you by name .” (Exodus 33:17)  What an incredible honour to be known by name, by the Maker of the universe! With David, we can say, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,  What is man that You are mindful of him , And the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalms 8:3, 4) “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; And  He knows those who trust in Him .” (Nahum 1:7)  “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget,  Yet   I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands ; Your walls are continually before Me.” (Isaiah 49:15, 16)  Jesus said, “ My sheep hear My voice, and ...