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Morning by Morning

Since I no longer have kids in school and no longer work outside the home, my daily schedules have deteriorated, and my morning devotion time has suffered. I’ve been more concerned lately about getting on the internet before our data cap begins than I have been with consistent prayer and Bible reading. Sometimes my devotional time has been in the evening, sometimes in the morning, and sometimes not at all.

I confess–I talk the talk better than I walk the walk.

So today I’m preaching to myself. If you need a little nudge to create or restore a regular habit of morning devotions, join me in visiting some scriptures that will remind us what we might be missing.

Listen, God! Please . . . I need your help . . .
Every morning
    I lay out the pieces of my life
    on your altar
    and watch for fire to descend.   Psalm 5:1-3   MSG

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,

Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
    lead me on level ground.
    for to you I entrust my life.   Psalm 143:8, 10 NIV

If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice,
I’ll go to sleep each night trusting in you. Psalm 143:8 MSG

[Wisdom says,] Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;
    don’t squander your precious life.
Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,
    awake and ready for me each morning,
    alert and responsive as I start my day’s work.
When you find me, you find life, real life,
    to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.   Proverbs 33-35   MSG

He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. Isaiah 50:4 NIV

What if devotions in the morning just won’t work for you? Is God displeased? I don’t think so. For years I had a spiritual “quiet time” when my kids had their afternoon physical quiet time (naps). You are so precious to Him, He wants to hear from you and spend time with you, any time, anywhere.

But for me, in the season of life I am now enjoying, morning prayer and study time is where I should be. I need to form a consistent habit that will work for my current set of circumstances.

What about when we forget or when we willfully spend those allotted minutes on Facebook instead of Philippians?

God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness! Lamentations 3:22,23 MSG

I’ve been humming the hymn based on these verses today:

“Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see.”