Day 29

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct it to You,and I will look up. (Psalm 5:3) Oh God, You are my God; early I will seek you. (Psalm 63:1)

I’ve never been a morning person.  I don’t get into my groove until around 9am. I’ve accepted that about myself:* I’m a night person, and that’s all there is to it.

For that reason, I never took a literal interpretation to the scriptures above: surely I don’t have to read the Bible in the MORNING. I could read at night! Theoretically, at least…since shutting off the TV and laptop is much harder than turning it on. But I could just pray in the morning! And I watch Joyce Meyer every day while I get dressed, isn’t that the same thing as being alone with God?

Apparently, it isn’t. Not for me, anyway.

A few months ago, I started reading the Bible while I drinking my coffee as soon as I woke up on the weekends.** I realized that routine made a huge difference in the amount of peace and joy I had as I went through my daily tasks. So I decided to get up twenty minutes earlier and continue my weekend routine.

I always made the excuse that I wouldn’t be alert enough to read the Word at 6:30 a.m., but there’s a difference between doing a Bible STUDY and MEDITATING on the Word. Some days, I might just read a few lines in Psalms, and thenI think about it, repeat it over and over. If my mind wanders to the things on my to-do list, I go with that. It’s okay, because my mind isn’t racing wildly: the whole experience of prepping for the day is now occurring within the framework of God’s goodness and purpose for my life.

Sometimes I re-read the same underlined portion of a chapter three days in a row, and then on a morning when I have a little more time (and alertness), I’ll forge ahead into more chapters and a deeper study.

The devil makes a bid for our minds early in the morning. It’s amazing how many anxious thoughts he can inspire just within the first 5 minutes I’m awake. As usual, obedience toward the command to seek the Lord early isn’t for God’s benefit, it’s for my own. I’m not doing Him a favor by making time for Him first: I’m setting myself up for spiritual success, I’m putting on the armor I’ll need in the day’s battle.

From My House to Yours,
Cathie

PS Happy Birthday James "The Car Man" Harman. Husband, Father, Son, Friend, Uncle, Brother, and Buddy. We miss you!