Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8 NIV
I have a quote saved on my phone that is very challenging to me. “Not everyone got another sunrise. Use it well.” Whew. That makes you think, doesn’t it? But just getting up and after it is not the way to make the best use of every day. Your day and my day is determined by the voice we allow to speak first.
Think about your average day. Do you grab your phone first? Check for messages and the weather? Guess how I know you might do that.☹ It’s so easy. Maybe you check the news first thing, then anxiety and fear start speaking. Or maybe you lie in bed and run through your responsibilities and start organizing or feeling the stress. You think of the deadlines, the people who need you. The conversations you will have. The one you dread. Or maybe you overslept and you’re late. So, you bolt out of bed and fly into the day, already irritated. Hmmm. Those voices. They start your day and determine your day.
David knew how his day needed to start. He needed to hear God’s Voice. He needed to connect with his Source. What would it be like to start your day with the voice of God, speaking to you of His unfailing love? How would that strengthen you? David knew that he had put his trust in God, and letting God speak to him first thing magnified his trust and strength. In the mornings, God’s voice directed him and showed him the way to go.
Even when Jesus was on earth as a man, He started His day with the Voice of His Father. Numerous places in the gospels, we see His morning routine. Mark 1:35 says it clearly: “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Think of it. Jesus Himself, God in the flesh, got up early in the morning, before people and circumstances could get His attention. He knew He had to hear the Voice. He got up. He intentionally got up. He made the effort and physically took action. He got out of bed. Seriously, I wonder how many days we have missed the Voice we need because we just didn’t get up and we aborted His plan. He went to a secluded place. He got away from distractions. There He prayed. He heard the Voice of God and started the day with strength.
We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to walk with us and be the Voice of unfailing love and direction we need. How would your days and life change if you intentionally made full use of this unspeakably precious gift? You were created for a heart aligned with God’s.
- I choose the first Voice I hear, then that choice directs my day. My days direct my life. Help me intentionally choose the Voice of God.