Romans – “Therefore”
I am a morning person. The rest of my family is not. God made me this way. And that’s okay. I like being the first one out of bed, getting a cup of coffee and a cup of Cheerios and retreating to our office where I can speak first to God, our Father. I can then hear HIS voice first in the quiet of the first few minutes of a new day. What my family never understood is the happiness and joy that follows with the exuberance to get them up and out of bed, too! So, I would sing them out of bed. I loved doing it. They did not.
I remember having a guest, one of their friends, I believe his name was Lance Finley, spend the night in our home. I treat all overnight guests like family, so I sang the “morning song” to him, too. In fact, I began in his room. I wanted him to feel at home. My oldest daughter leaped from her bed, (which was a rare sight to see), ran from her bedroom and nearly tackled me to the ground with a mortified voice, “It’s bad enough you sing to us, you cannot sing to a GUEST!” To which I responded, with my loudest singing voice,
Good morning, good morning, good morning
It’s time to rise and shine
Good morning, good morning, good morning
I hope you’re feeling fine
The sun is just above the hill
Another day for us to fill
With all the things we love to do
Oh can’t you hear, it’s calling you
Doodle-y do, doodle-y do, doodle-y do
Good morning, good morning, good morning
Its time to rise and shine
Good morning, good morning, good morning
I hope you’re feeling fine
Good morning, get up, get out of bed
You gotta get up you sleepy head
The day is dawning just for you
And all your dreams are coming true
Doodle-y do, doodle-y do, doodle-y do
Good morning, good morning, good morning
It’s time to rise and shine!
Good morning, good morning, good morning
It’s time to rise and shine!
Good morning, good morning, good morning
It’s time to rise and shine!
(Written by Barry McGuire)
They WHOLE household was up and moving before the end of the song. SEE, it works. Yes, I was THAT mom. This was all done from a loving, caring heart.
As I read our final passage of chapter 13 today, I am reminded of this episode in our family life when our kids were teenagers. This song defused some of those ugly snarls you get when waking a teen from a sound sleep. (Smiling)
Paul is almost singing the same song as he writes, “The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing!” “Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!” As a morning person, I LOVE it!
The other point Paul makes is to pay what you owe (so you will be free to move when God says move) and whatever you do in life…love. Love God. Love others. You can’t go wrong when you love others like God loves us.
Romans 13, The Message (Part 2 of 2)8-10 Don’t run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don’t sleep with another person’s spouse, don’t take someone’s life, don’t take what isn’t yours, don’t always be wanting what you don’t have, and any other “don’t” you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can’t go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.
11-14 But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!
What do we learn?
–Get up. Dress ourselves in Christ. (Think more like Christ, do more like Christ!)
–Love.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for great memories that make us smile even today, years later. Thank you for being with us, teaching us, forgiving us…all because you love us. I love you, Lord, with all my heart, mind and soul. Transform me. Transform the world with Your Love.
In Jesus Name, Amen
And I’m still singing…
Step into the sunshine,
Get out of the shade
This is the one time that you’ve got it made,
And you can feel yourself smilin’
Way down to your shoes
Step into the sunshine, find the great good news.
Lord have mercy on the long, lost child,
Who wants to come home, but the world’s gone wild (world’s gone wild).
Lookin’ all around for a way to begin,
“Open up the windows, let the light pour in (light pour in)!”
I said, “open up the windows let the light pour in.”
Children, step into the sunshine,
Get out of the shade
This is the one time that you’ve got it made.
And you can feel yourself smilin’ way down to your shoes
Step into the sunshine, find the great good news!
(Written by Evie Karlsson)
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 