[ Previous Page ]     [ Next Page ]        Page:

This morning, even before I had begun my morning devotions, God impressed upon me to write on my ever present yellow legal pad this statement, Write About Daily Devotions.

Hmmmm.I had been thinking about tonight's first choir practice with me as director. With clear leading from God, I began praying specifically for a spirit of revival within the choir, that would spark and ignite in the whole congregation. In my mind, I thought that was a pretty bold thing to pray for, but very gently and quietly, God spoke to me and said, I created the world in six days, did I not? I can do ALL things, and sparking revival is my specialty! People who know me, know that I do not take things on lightly, that I am the one who rushes in where angels fear to tread, so this request of God to step forward and lead the choir was not out of the ordinary for me, even though as I look on it with my human eyes, it is a seeming daunting task.

I had asked God to humble me. To be able to communicate to the rest of the choir that I was just someone God had given leadership qualities to; and that if I did not use those gifts, that I would not be serving God to the best of my ability, that I was no better than anyone else, that I was just being obedient to the calling of the Lord in my life.

Could a daily walk with God be that important, that God would lead me to connect leading the choir with daily devotions??? Yes!!!!

Well, then God very clearly had me write those words on an entire separate sheet of my yellow legal pad, usually a clear sign that He wants me to write an article.

I was still stumped as to why God would have me write about something that I seemingly have no real knowledge about. Daily morning devotions are just something I do. I trained myself into the habit of doing them and it is just part of my life. I do have somewhat of a method to my study, allowing for moments of God-given inspiration, such as occurred this morning, but I never really considered my method grand enough to pass on to others.

Then it occurred to me that God was telling me that in order for me or anyone else to do anything significant for Him, that we must have a daily walk with Him in order for God to be able to speak to us, through His Word, prayer and meditation. That absolutely nothing will be accomplished for eternity and for God's good, unless myself and others understand that. And that I have been somewhat successful in creating a daily walk with God, so I should not keep that to myself, but share it with others.

I am continually humbled by God's efforts to use me in His work for the Kingdom.

But God, (one of Sharon's favorite expressions that seems to fit here).

I will begin by telling you how I began to have a morning routine. I had heard a sermon several years ago about what to read in your daily devotions. The speaker always used the term in the morning or first thing in the morning and that was good for me, as I am a morning person. However, since being a morning person already, I did not feel like I needed to make any special effort to get up any earlier, I would just add my devotions to when I already got up.

For years, I began my mornings by making a cup of coffee, showering, dressing, then getting on with life. I tried to fit in Bible study while the kids napped, or late at night, but found I never could be consistent with those attempts. I soon found out that devotions did not fit into my morning schedule of the day. Usually by the time I got out of the shower, my small son was up, or hubby was in the way, or the phone rang, or something would happen that would make me postpone my morning devotions, promising to get to them sometime today, which rarely, if ever, happened.

This frustration went on for several months, with very little Bible study or communication with God ever really occurring. Finally, through another sermon I heard, I realized that I needed to consecrate or sanctify (set aside for a specific purpose) some time for the study of God's Word. Then I had to look at my life and try to decide just when I was going to fit in this block of time. I figured at least a half hour. I did not feel 30 minutes was too much time to give back to the God who sent His only son to save my soul from Hell.

I was already getting up wa ahead of everyone else, so I could at least get in the shower and be awake when time was demanded of me. When was that time supposed to open up???? David said in Psalm 63:1a, "O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee", in Psalm 108:2b, "I myself will awake early", and in Proverbs 8:17b, "and those that seek me early shall find me".

And lest we think only the people in the Old Testament got up early to seek God, let us remember Mary Magdalene, that early Easter morning in John 20:1, which states: "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early ". I often reflect on that, and think of what glory she beheld and what she would have missed had she laid abed.

So, after reading all of this talk of early, and knowing that it takes 21 days to change a habit, I forced myself to set an alarm clock for 5:30am every morning, until it became habit for me to wake up just before the alarm went off, a sure sign my body had adjusted and I would get up at that time whether I had set the alarm or not.

[ Previous Page ]     [ Next Page ]        Page:

This page has been displayed 1 times this month, 54 times since October 11, 2008 .