The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

Isaiah 50:4 (NIV)

Rejoice! Again, I say, Rejoice! The Lord has woken you up today and has given you another day of life in this world. If you know Him then He’s given you another opportunity to serve Him and bring glory to His name. If you don’t know Him then He’s given you another opportunity to come before His throne of grace and be saved. In either case, you ought to be thankful because He gave you today.

If you’re like me then you’re not a “morning person.” If you’re even more like me then you don’t even care for the expression, “morning person.” I love the morning, especially before the dawn, when so many birds have awakened and are greeting the day in song. The night fades away to the east and the sky starts to brighten, bringing possibility. There’s something about staying up all night through the dark, however, that to me, brings a special appeal to the morning. When I have to wake up, at the brink of dawn, it’s just not the same.

I used to think I didn’t like waking up so early in the morning because I wanted to sleep in. However, when I think upon it now I realize that I feel like I’m intruding upon splendor of dawn. When it’s still dark out and I’ve gotten up I’m turning on the lights and getting ready to go do something. Most of the time it’s getting ready to go to work and I don’t have the time to enjoy the passing of the night and the coming of the day. I suppose the feeling of being a visitor to the day is exacerbated by going to work and being inside most of the day. When I was in the military I worked outside, on the flight line all night long. While I spent some time in planes I was outside for most of that time. I remember feeling like part of the world, not just a visitor, coming to see the sunrise.

Whenever you wake up to start your day, it’s God who has woken you up and He’s done so for a reason. How we start the day is important. I’m sure that I don’t have to tell you that if the day doesn’t start off well then sometimes it seems like the day’s been tainted or something and just sort of wobbles, like a crooked wagon wheel, throwing us off our game. This is one reason, of many, that starting the day off by giving it to God puts you on a pathway of success for the day. I’m not saying that you’re not going to have trouble in the day. You can expect some sort of conflict every day. Remember, “each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

There are so many benefits to putting God first each day. God first means, just that, you have made the choice to see what God has to say to you on this new day. When you make God the first part of your daily routine it’s anything but routine. You’re showing Him that what He says is important to you. This is after all, “the day that the LORD has made” (Psalm 118:24). Only He knows the plans for you today.

When you put the Lord first in your day it changes your perspective. Yes, you know that you have things to do today. However, when you open your ears to hear the voice of the Lord, instructing you on the way that you should go, you remember that today isn’t as important as you thought it was for the reasons that you thought. Your heart will align with the Fathers who will lead you and guide you showing you what is really important.

By starting the day with God it reminds you that He’s with you. Wherever you go and in whatever you do. You’ll be more inclined to think upon Him and lean upon Him as you face each challenge the day brings to you. You are, “turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding” (Proverbs 2:2 NIV) when you start it by turning to the Lord first and listening to what He has to say.

Some people turn on the television, radio, or open up a newspaper seeking the news of the day. Some look at horoscopes while others look to business pages to see what’s ahead. Doesn’t it just make sense to turn to the Author of the Universe first?

Now that you’re excited because you’ve planned to put God first in your day, you’re probably wondering how you can do it. I start off each day in prayer. Prayer is an avenue that we have to have a conversation with God. Most of the time, we’ll ask God to do this, that, or the other, and then we’re done. There’s nothing wrong with asking God for intercession in our lives. However, we must remember that God isn’t Santa Clause, a genie, or anything like that.

After I’ve opened up in prayer, I spend time listening to the daily Bible reading. As I have written before, I follow the Life Journal Reading Plan. Right now, I’m in a season where I have the luxury to listen to the Bible as well as spend time reading it each day. There’s something that happens within me, each day when I hear the word of God before anything else.

The next important step in my day is spending quiet time with God. Even though God is always communicating with us, we’re often too busy to notice it (Job 33:14). This is one reason, I’ve found, that setting up an intentional time with Him, is important. I could, when I pray, just sit there and wait, for a response, I suppose. However, that’s why I spend time in the Bible after I’ve prayed. That’s one way to hear God’s response to us. When I sit quietly before the Lord I’m setting aside everything else to listen to Him. Since I’m listening to Him and I know He’s speaking I get out a pen and paper so I can write down what He says.

These are a few ways that I’ve found to put God first in my day. I’d say that, between prayer, listening to the Bible, and spending time quietly before the Lord, it’s about an hour. For some people that might seem like a lot and for others it might not. I know that when I start my day, worshipping the Lord, in such ways, that it’s a lot easier to rejoice and be glad, for surely, I know, this is the day, the Lord has made.

Do you know God? God knows you and He loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, right now, and He wants you to know Him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so that we could be free of guilt, be freed from death, and live eternally with Him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation today:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

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