By Bunni Pounds

*This blog is part of our weekly, virtual Bible Study through the book of Psalms. For information on how to participate, please visit this page.

Being a Christian separates us from the rest of the world in a GOOD way – we have a refuge. We have hope and life because we know where to run and how to protect our souls. This is a constant training for us because we are always going through shaking in this world. 

In the shaking – we have a choice – we can awaken the dawn with our praise, or we can wallow in the hardship of life.

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
Awake, my glory!
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.” (verse 7-8)

What does it mean to “awaken the dawn”? 

David uses the phrase again in another place in Psalm 108:2 “Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.”

The “dawn” is the beginning of the day when the sun is just starting to break on the horizon. It is a still and quiet time when the world is not hustling fully yet and there is a hush over life. 

I love getting up early.

I can think clearly. I have my deepest thoughts. I can hear from God without all the noise of the day beating into my head. 

Most of my writing is done before 8 a.m. including this series because God can touch my heart with His truth in a clearer way in the morning. 

In this Psalm - David was again running from Saul and living in a cave. Those living conditions don’t sound very pleasant and there were probably many moments when David didn’t feel thankful to God. Even in the times when he probably didn’t think God was praiseworthy, he continued to find his refuge in His Creator.  

David’s secret was that he got up early to worship and give God praise. This is the way his heart remained steadfast. He turned his affections toward God – first. 

“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)

To get up early to pray, worship and meditate on the Word of God – you must have a revelation on your need for God and how He is the only one that can give you refuge. 

David starts Psalm 57 with these words….

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.” (verse 1-2) 

Putting our trust in the Lord means we are turning our mind, will, and emotions (our soul) and asking Him to meet us in the hidden places of our lives – knowing that only He can be our refuge in the middle of calamities. 

I met a lady yesterday at a church who had lost her husband in 2020 and then almost died herself with a heart issue a few months ago. When she walked up to me for prayer after the service – she had a bright red shirt on and had so much joy. I would never have known until she told me her story, how much pain she had been going through.

God had been her refuge through it all, and she was at peace in Him – knowing that she was still alive because He had a destiny for her to reach more people with His love. Her demeanor of joy and courage was evident to anyone who was around her. 

“I will cry out to God Most High,
To God who performs all things for me.
He shall send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah
God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.” (verses 2-3)

David understood by faith that if he cried out to God that God would perform “all things” for Him and He would save him. 

“My soul is among lions;
I lie among the sons of men
Who are set on fire,
Whose teeth are spears and arrows,
And their tongue a sharp sword.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.” (verses 4-5)

God has a way of showing up and bringing His glory upon the earth when we least expect it. 

Over the last few days – I have been in Laredo with one of our partner ministries - Time to Revive - as churches came together in that city to encourage their members to be trained to share the gospel and go minister to people in their communities. 

For 2 days I took teams of 4 people out to talk to people in the morning and the afternoon. 

On Friday afternoon – we met Erika and Leon. 

When we sat down with them to give them food at the park in the center of downtown Laredo, my first thought was these kids are hopeless. 

I knew it was a lie, but yet it was honestly how I felt. 

They were homeless - on and off drugs, but willing to talk. 

They were both very honest with our Time to Revive team about their struggles. 

Erika told us that she loved “non-denominational churches” and started quoting Bible verses throughout the hour-long conversation. 

Her friend Leon who has gone in and out of rehab told us honestly that he thought the Hare Krishna were probably the true religion IF he would follow it and be “more spiritual.” 

We asked them if we could have a quick Bible Study with them. 

As we went through the scriptures- unbelief and shame started falling off them. Faith started rising. Leon started looking me right in the eyes as I explained to him that Jesus’ eyes of fire filled with LOVE were looking right at him.

I told him that HE was the “joy set before” Jesus and the reason He endured the cross. 

After an hour, Leon accepted Jesus, asking God to completely set him free, and Erika recommitted her life to Christ. 

They want to be baptized this week, and their friend Caesar also had an encounter with God as well after this, and he ended up coming back to the meeting with us that night.

I know God is moving in these young people’s lives. Leon’s eyes came alive with faith as he finally understood what grace was.

God loves to surprise us, especially on what we think are “hopeless” cases. 

Every morning before we went out to share the gospel – we spent time in prayer, worship, and the Word. We prepared for what God wanted to do in and through our lives that day. We praised God and asked for His mercy and truth to interact with the people on the earth. 

“I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.” (verses 9-11)

Over the last few days being in Laredo and then out in Palestine, Texas, at an amazing church this weekend – I have been reminded that God wants to reach the nations – not just the nations across the world – but OUR NATION – where we live and work. He wants His glory to fill the earth, and He wants to use us. 

As we awaken the dawn, find refuge in Him, and let His glory fill the earth, we will see a move of God. 

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

We are ambassadors for Christ each day. Let’s go awaken the dawn with our praise today and every day and watch what God will do. 

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