![]() Did you ever not have a bad start to the day? I’m sure we’ve all ‘gotten up on the wrong side of the bed before.’ Maybe you can’t find a matching pair of socks, or you immediately remember that you should have done something yesterday that was due this morning, or perhaps you just don’t feel well and have short words with someone before you get out the door. It seems like everything else will go poorly because of that… and it often does. The way a day begins is important. That’s one of the reasons I offer this devotional every morning. Getting your mind in the right place early can set the tone for the rest of the day. But that doesn’t take away the bitter aspect of a morning that begins not so well. So what can you do? The Bible speaks a lot about the value of the morning. Many important things in Scripture were done in the early morning. The enemy is already at work before you get up… but so is God. Here are a few verses that may encourage you in getting back on track after a bumpy start to your day… “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!” (Lamentations 3:22-23) And by the way… the word lamentations means sorrows, or weeping. So if you can find a promise of God’s work and faithfulness in a book of sadness, there is hope. “I call to God, and the Lord will save me. I complain and groan morning, noon, and night, and He hears my voice.” (Psalm 55:16-17) God knows we are frail and we don’t always have it easy. He even knows that we do not always handle things well. He does not turn away from us simply because we have a bad morning. So we should not turn away from Him. Turn to Him. Call out to Him. If things don’t change, keep calling out when the bad morning turns into a worse afternoon, and the worst evening ever. God isn’t a rabbit’s foot. He is your Creator who redeems your situation for your good and His glory. I will leave you with a word from someone in the Bible who was having a bad morning. The life of the believer is not just killing giants and walking on water. It is sometimes people struggling to get through the morning. But there is hope. You may relate to this, especially in these difficult days. “God is indeed good to Israel, to the pure in heart. But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray. For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have an easy time until they die, and their bodies are well fed. They are not in trouble like others; they are not afflicted like most people. Therefore, pride is their necklace, and violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge out from fatness; the imaginations of their hearts run wild. They mock, and they speak maliciously; they arrogantly threaten oppression. They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues strut across the earth. Therefore His people turn to them and drink in their overflowing words. The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High know everything?” Look at them—the wicked! They are always at ease, and they increase their wealth. Did I purify my heart and wash my hands in innocence for nothing? For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning. If I had decided to say these things aloud, I would have betrayed Your people. When I tried to understand all this, it seemed hopeless until I entered God’s sanctuary. Then I understood their destiny. Indeed, You put them in slippery places; You make them fall into ruin. How suddenly they become a desolation! They come to an end, swept away by terrors. Like one waking from a dream, Lord, when arising, You will despise their image. When I became embittered and my innermost being was wounded, I was stupid and didn’t understand; I was an unthinking animal toward You. Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me up in glory. Who do I have in heaven but You? And I desire nothing on earth but You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever. Those far from You will certainly perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, God’s presence is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge, so I can tell about all You do.” Perhaps today started off on the wrong foot. Maybe you can hit your right knees and give the past, present and future to the One who knows the end from the beginning, can feel your pain, and straighten out your path. The day ain’t over. It has just begun… and how it ends is more important than how it started. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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AuthorMy name is David, and I want to know God more, and help other people find Him. Archives
March 2019
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