“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” (Psalm 5:3)
In the mornings will I arise and give praise unto Thee, O God. That is how I have lived my life on purpose these past three years. Oh, I tried to before, but things got in the way. Either the phone would ring, the dog would have to go out, other distractions would immediately demand my attention. But now that it is just me in the house, I have learned to re-order my morning routine. And that is the topic of today’s devotion: order.
I realize we all come from different households with different responsibilities – I get that. Some of you are single mothers and the children need your care. Some of you are shift-workers that have demanding and often changing schedules – I’ve been there, too. Some of you may be specialized doctors who are on-call 24/7. Whatever your lot in life, it is important to establish some type of order or routine. Dr. Mike Murdock was always really big on establishing habits, for in your habits lie the secret to a successful, happy, and peaceful life. Most don’t have the privilege of an easy start to your day as I do. I can totally appreciate and respect that; however, it is important to address our great God as soon as possible upon arising. Many didn’t have that opportunity.
Almost all of my adult life I have worked 12-18 hours a day. For a huge part of my life I have held two – sometimes three – jobs at once, just in an effort to survive financially. There were obviously some problems there, but I won’t get into that here. I would arrive home spent, shower, eat something, drop into bed for a few hours, then get up and go right back to it. Some of you are there now. It seems like a long way to retirement – that special time when you can remove the yoke from your neck and finally look around and see what you’ve been missing. I am grateful to have finally reached that point in life, so I understand your longing. However, I would strongly encourage you – as one who has been there – to take a few moments of your morning (or arising time) to at least breathe out a prayer of thanksgiving to our heavenly Father for the blessings in your life. As you walk to your car or the bus stop, learn to appreciate the fresh air, observe the grass, hear the birds singing, feel the warmth of the sun. All of these are subtle reminders from God that He Is there and has given you the facilities to experience them. We don’t have to drop to our knees and stop everything. We can pray as we go. Wherever we are, God is there.
I recently went through a study program that challenged me to write down in a journal one thing for which I was thankful each day. It asked of me that I look around and appreciate one thing of beauty each day. That may have been a butterfly that was wistfully fluttering around my yard. It may have been a particularly colorful sunset. It may have been the food on my plate. It may have been a co-worker in something he or she may have done. Even the intricate design on a grossly ugly bug may have caught my eye – even THAT was beautiful in its own way. I would encourage you to do the same. Maybe you won’t take the time to write it down as I was instructed to do, but at least slow down long enough to observe the beauty and order in the world around you.
That is the message David wrote to us today. There is something settling about being conscious and thankful early upon arising. It focuses our minds and hearts on the fact that God is present. We need to know that more and more in this fast-paced, changing, chaotic world. In fact, the chaos in the world reminds us of Genesis 1:2, where we read that the world had become void and chaotic – seemingly right after God created it! Now we know, according to biblical scholars, that between verses one and two it is believed Satan entered the world. Previously he was the worship leader in heaven and was wholly beautiful. But when pride arose in his heart and he attempted an overthrow in heaven, God banished him to the lower regions (earth). Upon his arrival, his spirit brought chaos and disorder. As we read on, however, we see that God, through the ministrations of the Holy Spirit, began to re-establish order on the earth. So He wants to do with you today.
Between reading the headlines on Internet, listening to the news, reading the comments of our friends on Facebook and other social media, and our immediate lives, we can get so wrapped up in stress and anguish that we forget we have a heavenly Father Who loves us and only wants the best for us. I challenge you to go back and read the accounts of the Israelites in the Old Testament and see how God protected His people from famines, floods, enemy attacks, etc. Many say the Old Testament is dead to us today – that it is no longer relevant; however, I say to you it is TOTALLY relevant! ALL scripture is God-breathed from Genesis to the maps! God can and will speak to you through the words of the Old Testament as surely as He will the New. In fact, my own mother (God rest her soul) had the habit of reading through the Psalms systematically each month. That brought her calm in her troubled spirit. Many choose to read through the book of Proverbs every month. Others read through the Bible each year according to a plan. Whatever it takes for you – even a quick “Thank you, God, for waking me up this morning in my right mind” is a good start.
Today, my friend, the challenge is to begin ordering your life according to the leading of God for you. I can’t tell you to rise and pray for an hour each day. I can’t tell you to spend thirty minutes a day in your Bible. That is not my place. I can only tell you that the practice of giving thanks to God and acknowledging Him upon arising is a total game-changer. Start small. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Begin simple and be consistent – that way you will win in this area. And, as always, be on your guard. Satan will do everything in his power to disrupt you in this new behavior. You have the victory over him, however, by the power of Christ within you. Take every distraction and immediately hand it over to God and continue. Order brings peace. Habits will bring you success. God will bring you through with joy.
Be blessed.
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