For most of my life, I was not a morning person. The older I get, the more I enjoy rising early to start the day. But it doesn’t happen quickly. Most days, without an alarm pounding my eardrums, I would sleep later than I should. If, however, the day promises something out of the ordinary and pleasant (e.g., the beginning of a vacation), I will wake up before the alarm clock goes off. But the prospect of an unpleasant day makes getting up that much more challenging and pulling the covers over my head that much more alluring.
That’s one thing, among many, that makes the faith of Abraham so amazing. There are three instances in his life in which the Bible says that he arose early in the morning – and he knew on all three of those days that what he had to do would not be pleasant.
The first of those instances is Genesis 19:27 where we Moses tells us that Abraham “went early in the morning” to a special location where he would survey the destroyed cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The second is Genesis 21:14. There Abraham “rose early in the morning” and with great sadness kicked Hagar and Ishmael out of his house to appease Sarah. The third is Genesis 22:3 when Abraham “rose early in the morning” to take Isaac to Mount Moriah with the intention of sacrificing him to God.
Abraham, no doubt, had some beautiful mornings. But the three above are the only ones specifically mentioned in the Bible. How brutal they must have been! How tempting it might have been for him to keep rolling over and sleeping just a little longer. Instead of hiding under the covers, he rose up early and met the challenges of the day.
Life brings with it many unpleasant days. But the with help of God and the faith of Abraham, we can throw off the covers, confidently rise from our beds, and face what each day brings.