God calls Job “blameless and upright.” That is quite a commendation, especially considering God repeats it to Satan, as if reading Job’s spiritual résumé aloud: “Have you considered my servant Job… a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Yet the Book of Job highlights just one practice from his daily routine, and it appears in the opening verses. Job rose early in the morning to offer sacrifices on behalf of his children. Scripture says, “He would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings… Thus Job did continually.” Whatever else could be said of Job, farmer, father, philosopher, or sufferer, he was an early morning worshiper. He did not hit the snooze button; he hit his knees. It is a simple detail, but it quietly reveals the rhythm of a life anchored in God long before trouble ever arrived.
Throughout Scripture, many of the Bible’s heroes seemed to keep a similar rhythm. Abraham rose early to stand before the Lord. Jacob greeted the dawn with worship after seeing a ladder of angels. Moses climbed Sinai in the early hours, likely before anyone had time to complain about the lack of breakfast. Joshua rose early to prepare for Jericho, perhaps before the walls had finished their morning stretch. Gideon stepped out at daybreak to inspect his fleece, checking whether God had answered him in dew or dryness. Even Jesus, according to the Gospels, rose early and went to a solitary place to pray. It is enough to make a late sleeper feel slightly suspicious of sunrise. Still, their shared habit was not about the clock but about the priority. They sought God before the noise of the day could drown out His voice, reminding us, even gently, that our schedules often reveal what we value most.
Our connection to Jesus brings this into clearer focus. I have always been a morning person, largely because the Navy trained it into me with the subtlety of a foghorn. Following Job’s example fits naturally for me, but I have learned that others meet God at very different hours. Max Lucado once joked that he tried early devotions too, but “the tow truck I needed to pull me out of bed could not make it up the stairs.” So he spends his evenings with God instead. The point is not the hour. The point is the habit. As Job 1:5 reminds us, “Thus Job did continually.” And Jesus said, “Abide in me” (John 15:4). He also modeled that steady rhythm Himself, withdrawing to pray and remain in communion with the Father. Whether at sunrise or long after the day winds down, drawing near to Him shapes not only our schedule but also our hearts.