The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ESV

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. NIV

I have yet to claim the title of a “morning person,” and especially not in the dead of winter. It’s been months since the sun rose before I did.

As much as I don’t like long winter nights, in the far north of Alaska, there are places that experience up to sixty days of total darkness every year. There is no daylight at all. They call it the polar night. 

I can’t imagine how disorienting that would be. Yet, that kind of darkness is not unfamiliar to the human heart. Apart from Christ, this is how we live. Stumbling through life disoriented, not knowing day from night. 

If I’m honest, there are seasons when my own heart feels that way, too. Seasons where the darkness never seems to end, and I beg for the morning light to break. Sometimes, I’m so disoriented that I wonder if it ever will again. 

Enter: Jesus. My Bright Morning Star. 

Whether the darkness of the night or the brightness of the morning, the love of our Lord endures. It doesn’t end. The morning light is our clear reminder that Christ's mercies are also available and enduring through the night.

We know all too well the mental battle between the comforts of our bed and the start of our day, but may we know the greater comforts of His mercies as we arise each morning. All Christ followers should be “morning people.” For it is here that His mercies are felt anew. 

In the same parts of Alaska during the Polar night, the sun never sets from mid-May to early August, with places experiencing over 80 days of continuous daylight.

Friend, remember that, no matter how dark it feels today, yesterday, or tomorrow… endless light is coming. And in the night Christ's love and mercy endure for you. There will be a day when the cool of the day and the sense of a new morning…lasts for eternity. Don’t lose sight of the Bright Morning Star. 

Written by Blake Stanley
Listen to “Gallows” by Jess Ray this week.