“The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:8)
As a herdsman in Judah, Amos knew the roar of a lion. Many of us have heard on nature programs what the sound of a lion is, grunting his magnificent, guttural sounds in the darkness of an arid night.If I were a herdsman in the land where lions roared, I, too, would be filled with fear, especially if I had no rifle at my side. But my nights are different.
Since retiring several years ago my sleep habits have changed. I often take an afternoon nap or doze in the evening to catch up on sleep I missed the night before.
Then I waken in the early hours of the morning and shuffle to my study. I’ve found that my best hours to read, study, pray, think and write are in those hours before the sun comes up. I’m told I’m not alone in this practice. It was even recorded of our Lord that, “Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.” (Mark 1:35) [Read more…]