If we’re not cautious, it may be all too simple to present no thought to how we begin our day. Some women and men rise from mattress basically in a daze and stumble into motion, directed by intuition and entrenched habits. These wishing to be extra considerate could take particular care with a routine to launch off with objective and vitality. Some will even put together the evening earlier than to make the morning as clean as attainable.
Such sensible issues are definitely “of some worth” (1 Tim. 4:8). However how far more vital is it to start the day on a robust footing spiritually! In Psalm 5:1–3, David demonstrates the significance of starting the day not by leaping into motion or following a routine however, in the beginning, by approaching God:
Give ear to my phrases, O LORD;
take into account my groaning.
Give consideration to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray.
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
within the morning I put together a sacrifice for you and watch.
5 observations on this quick textual content will assist us as we take into account methods to start every day on the suitable religious footing.
Coming to God Straight
First, we see that David doesn’t hem and haw about his strategy to God: “Give ear to my phrases …. Give consideration to the sound of my cry.” He’s not roundabout in stating his wants however moderately appeals to God immediately.
David says later within the psalm, “Evil could not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand earlier than your eyes” (vv. 4–5). How then, we could ask, are we to return immediately earlier than God’s throne? Objectively, we perceive that we’re sinners, unfit for the presence of a holy God. And subjectively, the morning usually brings with it all the doubts and disasters of the day before today.
David was no stranger to self-doubt and failure. But he understood an important reality: “I, by the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your own home” (v. 7). God’s beneficiant love has made a method into His presence by the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross. Jesus takes our sin, and we’re clothed in His righteousness by religion. David, within the time earlier than Christ, approached God on this similar floor—understanding God’s mercy with out but understanding the precise purpose for it.
Within the mercy of Christ, based on God’ steadfast love, we could come to Him immediately and instantly with our hopes and our considerations, without having for saints, monks, or paraphernalia. When the burden of sin holds us again, we could keep in mind that He’s trustworthy to forgive confessed sin (1 John 1:9). On Christ’s account, God the Father forgives us and eagerly hears our prayers (Matt. 7:11; Luke 11:13).
Coming to God Humbly
As David comes immediately and confidently, he additionally comes humbly. Discover how he addresses the Father: “O LORD … my King and my God.” David himself was a king, however he comes and says to God, “You’re my King.”
The apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves … below the mighty hand of God in order that on the correct time he could exalt you.” Such an strategy differs drastically from the self-help theories of our up to date world, which advise us, “Carry your self up. Promote your self. Enhance your self. Be your self.” We must waken up within the morning and keep in mind that we can not put our ft over the mattress until God makes it attainable for our ft to work.
So long as we’re pumping ourselves as much as tackle the challenges of the day, they may ultimately come to overwhelm us. However after we start to just accept that God is the one in management, these issues will start to shrink in our thoughts’s eye.
Coming to God Personally
David additionally comes personally: He comes to not a king or a god however to “my King and my God.” God just isn’t some far-away stranger, the way in which the king of England is to most of his topics. No, that is the God who has searched and identified him, who knit him collectively within the womb (Ps. 139:1, 13). God is aware of us personally, and we could converse to Him personally.
It’s one factor to know that we will come to the Creator with our issues. It’s one other to know that we will come to Him on intimate phrases, as we might come to a father—not as we might strategy the DMV window! We will remind ourselves, within the baritones of the Johnny Money track,
I discuss to Jesus every single day,
And He’s focused on each phrase I say;
No secretary ever tells me He’s been referred to as away.
I discuss to Jesus every single day.
That’s not mysticism. That’s not emotionalism. That’s real, biblical, actual Christian expertise. We will discuss to Jesus on a regular basis, and He speaks to us by His Phrase. We will discuss to Him at our mirror within the morning, discuss to Him in our mattress at evening, discuss to Him getting dressed, discuss to Him within the automotive. He’s our trustworthy good friend, and, with our Father, He will hear us.
Coming to God Persistently
Fourthly, we see that David approaches God constantly: “O LORD, within the morning you hear my voice; within the morning I put together a sacrifice for you and watch.” The notion is that David is coming to God morning by morning. His sample isn’t bursts of enthusiasm adopted by continual inertia, the way in which some individuals launch into health applications initially of a brand new 12 months. It’s constant, ordinary dependence on God: “I would like Thee each hour, most gracious Lord.”
Some advocates for train will let you know all motion is nice motion. In the identical method—certainly, much more so—all prayer is nice prayer; all Bible is nice Bible. In different phrases, it’s higher to return to God briefly, if one can achieve this constantly, than it’s to get up as soon as at 4 within the morning, learn half of Genesis in a burst of enthusiasm, after which to go weeks with out once more bringing your coronary heart earlier than your Lord and King.
Coming to God Expectantly
Lastly, David approaches God expectantly: “Within the morning I put together a sacrifice for you and watch.” He retains his eyes peeled for the reply to His prayer.
Many lecturers and books will let you know that prayer is about therapeutically “getting all of it out”—that the actual end result is that, having prayed, you’ll merely really feel higher about all the pieces. Whether or not God hears prayers or does something about them doesn’t appear to return into the calculation.
That isn’t how David prayed! David not solely made his requests to God; he additionally watched to see what God would do. That doesn’t imply he sat beside his mattress, trying round him for the reply till it got here. However he didn’t go about his life as if the dialog have been over, nor did he face his issues as if the one assist he had was a listening ear.
“The whole lot to God in Prayer”
The basic hymn reminds us,
What a good friend now we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to hold
The whole lot to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we frequently forfeit,
Oh, what pointless ache we bear,
All as a result of we don’t carry
The whole lot to God in prayer.
David turned to God as a result of God listened to him and supplied actual assist. The identical privilege and energy is obtainable to us in Jesus Christ. In Him, we could come to the Father immediately, humbly, personally, constantly, and expectantly—and we’ll discover Him keen and prepared to equip us for the duties He units us to.
This text was tailored from the sermon “Learn how to Begin Your Day Solidly” by Alistair Begg.
