7. Joy in the Morning
The tune and words of the chorus for this song literally came to me in a dream, our first night in Mozambique; it left me feeling that God was there ahead of me, inviting us past all the tremendous difficulties that we would face living in the bush for the next 6 years, urging me to focus on the joy set before me. Pondering the phrase, “joy in the morning”, for quite a while, I ended up crafting the remainder of the song from the gifts offered to overcomers in the letters to the churches, found in Revelation 2-3
If you overcome
you can eat from the tree of life in paradise
If you overcome you will not be hurt at all, by the second death
If you overcome I’ll give you some of the hidden manna
and I’ll give you a white stone with a new name written on it
known only to you and to me!
(Chorus)
And I’ll give you joy in the morning! (x 4)
If you overcome
I’ll give you authority over the nations
I’ll give you the morning star, and fresh white clothes--
you can walk with Me!
If you overcome I’ll never erase your name from the book of life;
instead, I’ll announce your name in front of my father and all my fathers angels!
And I’ll give you joy in the morning! (x 4)
So hold on to what you have
and don't let anyone take away your crown
for I’m coming very soon
and my reward’s in my hand
Whoever has ears to hear--
please hear what the Spirit says,
whoever has ears to hear, whoever has ears to hear.
If you overcome,
I’ll make you a pillar in my fathers temple
and I’ll write on you the name of my God
and the name of His city
and I’ll write on you my own new name
and if you overcome,
I’ll let you climb up on my throne with me,
just like I overcame and
climbed up on my father’s throne in heaven
and I’ll give you joy in the morning!
you can eat from the tree of life in paradise
If you overcome you will not be hurt at all, by the second death
If you overcome I’ll give you some of the hidden manna
and I’ll give you a white stone with a new name written on it
known only to you and to me!
(Chorus)
And I’ll give you joy in the morning! (x 4)
If you overcome
I’ll give you authority over the nations
I’ll give you the morning star, and fresh white clothes--
you can walk with Me!
If you overcome I’ll never erase your name from the book of life;
instead, I’ll announce your name in front of my father and all my fathers angels!
And I’ll give you joy in the morning! (x 4)
So hold on to what you have
and don't let anyone take away your crown
for I’m coming very soon
and my reward’s in my hand
Whoever has ears to hear--
please hear what the Spirit says,
whoever has ears to hear, whoever has ears to hear.
If you overcome,
I’ll make you a pillar in my fathers temple
and I’ll write on you the name of my God
and the name of His city
and I’ll write on you my own new name
and if you overcome,
I’ll let you climb up on my throne with me,
just like I overcame and
climbed up on my father’s throne in heaven
and I’ll give you joy in the morning!