   How do you start your day with God? If you're not a 'morning person', don't put pressure on yourself to have an extended time of reading Scripture and praying first thing. Frank Laubach, a modern-day master of practising the presence of God, said, 'If you are weary of some sleepy form of devotion, probably God is as weary of it as you are.' Instead of forcing yourself in the morning, arrange - as early as you can after you wake up - to have just a few minutes alone with God. 

   Do three things: First, acknowledge your dependence on God. Second, tell him about your concerns for the day. Third, invite God to spend the day with you. The psalmist said, 'My voice you shall hear in the morning, O Lord...I will direct it to you, and I will look up' (Psalm 5:3 NKJV). Then he added, 'I wake up early in the morning and cry out. I hope in your word' (Psalm 119:147 NCV).

   So how can you start your day with God? Don't attempt to do a lot of new or heroic things. Just do the things you normally do - only do them with God. In our culture, we often talk about embracing the moment and seizing the day. But we are not meant to embrace moments; we are meant to embrace God. Moments are not always good; God is never anything but good. 'Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good' (Psalm 118:1 NKJV)! Remind yourself that today God is with you, and that he will be good to you and for you.





— SCRIPTURE —

    'My voice you shall hear in the morning, O Lord.' Psalm 5:3 NKJV
— SOULFOOD —

    Matt 5:9, Rom 12:17-21, Jam 3:17-18
    

How do you start your day with God? If you're not a 'morning person', don't put pressure on yourself to have an extended time of reading Scripture and praying first thing. Frank Laubach, a modern-day master of practising the presence of God, said, 'If you are weary of some sleepy form of devotion, probably God is as weary of it as you are.' Instead of forcing yourself in the morning, arrange - as early as you can after you wake up - to have just a few minutes alone with God. Do three things: First, acknowledge your dependence on God. Second, tell him about your concerns for the day. Third, invite God to spend the day with you. The psalmist said, 'My voice you shall hear in the morning, O Lord...I will direct it to you, and I will look up' (Psalm 5:3 NKJV). Then he added, 'I wake up early in the morning and cry out. I hope in your word' (Psalm 119:147 NCV). So how can you start your day with God? Don't attempt to do a lot of new or heroic things. Just do the things you normally do - only do them with God. In our culture, we often talk about embracing the moment and seizing the day. But we are not meant to embrace moments; we are meant to embrace God. Moments are not always good; God is never anything but good. 'Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good' (Psalm 118:1 NKJV)! Remind yourself that today God is with you, and that he will be good to you and for you.
 
 — SCRIPTURE — 
 'My voice you shall hear in the morning, O Lord.' Psalm 5:3 NKJV 
 — SOULFOOD — 
 Matt 5:9, Rom 12:17-21, Jam 3:17-18

The Word For Today is a daily devotional by authors Bob and Debby Gass. Every day, tens of thousands of people across New Zealand are encouraged and uplifted by its relevant insights.

The daily readings resonate with people as they often speak into their current circumstances. Often readers express wonder at how a particular day’s devotion appeared to be ‘written just for me’

The Word For Today is a daily devotional by authors Bob and Debby Gass. Every day, tens of thousands of people across New Zealand are encouraged and uplifted by its relevant insights.
The daily readings resonate with people as they often speak into their current circumstances. Often readers express wonder at how a particular day&rsquo;s devotion appeared to be &lsquo;written just for me&rsquo;

The Word For Today

Start your day with God

   Consider these examples of resistance to inventions that we now consider commonplace and enjoy every day. In Germany, 'experts' said that if trains went as fast as twenty-four to thirty kilometres an hour - considered a frightful speed - blood would spurt from the travellers' noses and passengers would suffocate when going through tunnels. In America, experts said the introduction of the railway would require the building of many asylums, since people would be driven mad with terror at the sight of the locomotives. When the idea of iron ships was first proposed, experts insisted that they would not float, it would be difficult to preserve the iron bottom from rust, and that iron would play havoc with compass readings. In 1797, when the first cast-iron plough was invented, farmers in New Jersey rejected it, saying the cast iron would poison the ground and stimulate the growth of weeds. When the YMCA in New York welcomed the invention of the typewriter and announced typing lessons for women, protests erupted on the grounds that the female constitution would break down under the strain. 

   Now consider these statements, each of which is a product of a negative mindset: (1) 'Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible' (Lord Kelvin, President, Royal Society, 1895). (2) 'Man will never tap the power of the atom' (Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize winner in physics, 1923). (3) 'Everything that can be invented has been invented' (Charles H. Duell, U.S. Patent Office Director, 1899). 

   If you want to accomplish great things and be used by God, become an 'I can' person.





— SCRIPTURE —

    'I can do all things through Christ.' Philippians 4:13 NKJV
— SOULFOOD —

    Ezra 9-10, Mark 1:1-8, Ps 46, Pro 19:18-20
    

Consider these examples of resistance to inventions that we now consider commonplace and enjoy every day. In Germany, 'experts' said that if trains went as fast as twenty-four to thirty kilometres an hour - considered a frightful speed - blood would spurt from the travellers' noses and passengers would suffocate when going through tunnels. In America, experts said the introduction of the railway would require the building of many asylums, since people would be driven mad with terror at the sight of the locomotives. When the idea of iron ships was first proposed, experts insisted that they would not float, it would be difficult to preserve the iron bottom from rust, and that iron would play havoc with compass readings. In 1797, when the first cast-iron plough was invented, farmers in New Jersey rejected it, saying the cast iron would poison the ground and stimulate the growth of weeds. When the YMCA in New York welcomed the invention of the typewriter and announced typing lessons for women, protests erupted on the grounds that the female constitution would break down under the strain. Now consider these statements, each of which is a product of a negative mindset: (1) 'Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible' (Lord Kelvin, President, Royal Society, 1895). (2) 'Man will never tap the power of the atom' (Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize winner in physics, 1923). (3) 'Everything that can be invented has been invented' (Charles H. Duell, U.S. Patent Office Director, 1899). If you want to accomplish great things and be used by God, become an 'I can' person.
 
 — SCRIPTURE — 
 'I can do all things through Christ.' Philippians 4:13 NKJV 
 — SOULFOOD — 
 Ezra 9-10, Mark 1:1-8, Ps 46, Pro 19:18-20

Be an 'I can' person

   Marian wanted to become a concert singer, a challenge that was doubly difficult because of the colour of her skin. Her mother, however, had a patient trust in God. Marian later said, 'Mother's religion made her believe she could receive what was right for her if she was conscientious in her faith. If it did not come, it was because God had not considered it right for her. We grew up in this atmosphere of faith that she created...We believed as she did, because we wanted the same kind of haven in the time of storm.' When Marian was denied admission to a famous music conservatory on account of her race, her mother said, 'Someone would be raised up' to help her accomplish what she hoped to do at the conservatory. That someone arrived a few weeks later. One of Philadelphia's outstanding voice teachers, Giuseppe Boghetti, made room for her to become one of his students. And Marian Anderson was on her way to becoming one of the most popular singers of the twentieth century. On Easter Sunday in 1939, she sang to seventy-five thousand people at the Lincoln Memorial and gave a performance never to be forgotten by those present. 

   Solomon said this about God's guidance: (1) 'The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way' (Proverbs 20:24 NLT)? (2) 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take' (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT).





— SCRIPTURE —

    'The Lord decides what a person will do.' Proverbs 20:24 NCV
— SOULFOOD —

    Eze 37:1-14, Matt 27:50-53, Eph 1:18-21
    

Marian wanted to become a concert singer, a challenge that was doubly difficult because of the colour of her skin. Her mother, however, had a patient trust in God. Marian later said, 'Mother's religion made her believe she could receive what was right for her if she was conscientious in her faith. If it did not come, it was because God had not considered it right for her. We grew up in this atmosphere of faith that she created...We believed as she did, because we wanted the same kind of haven in the time of storm.' When Marian was denied admission to a famous music conservatory on account of her race, her mother said, 'Someone would be raised up' to help her accomplish what she hoped to do at the conservatory. That someone arrived a few weeks later. One of Philadelphia's outstanding voice teachers, Giuseppe Boghetti, made room for her to become one of his students. And Marian Anderson was on her way to becoming one of the most popular singers of the twentieth century. On Easter Sunday in 1939, she sang to seventy-five thousand people at the Lincoln Memorial and gave a performance never to be forgotten by those present. Solomon said this about God's guidance: (1) 'The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way' (Proverbs 20:24 NLT)? (2) 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take' (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT).
 
 — SCRIPTURE — 
 'The Lord decides what a person will do.' Proverbs 20:24 NCV 
 — SOULFOOD — 
 Eze 37:1-14, Matt 27:50-53, Eph 1:18-21

God-directed steps

   Jesus said: 'The Helper, the Holy Spirit...will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you' (John 14:26 NKJV). When you need to make a critical decision, you need 'the spirit of wisdom and revelation' (Ephesians 1:17 NKJV). When you're in a difficult situation and unsure of what to say: 'Just say whatever is given to you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit' (Mark 13:11 NIV). When you find it hard to show love: 'The fruit of the Spirit is love' (Galatians 5:22 NIV). The same is true with every fruit of the Spirit. Do you need to overcome an addiction? 'The fruit of the Spirit is...self-control' (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV). Of course, that's an oxymoron because it doesn't come from you. It's the Spirit who manufactures it, so it's really Spirit-control. 

   What you need more of is the Holy Spirit. And for the record, the Spirit of God doesn't just want to fill you; he also wants to stretch you and increase your capacity. If you feel like your life is in chaos today, the Spirit of God is hovering - just as he did at the dawn of creation when he brought light out of darkness, order out of chaos and beauty out of nothingness (see Genesis 1:1-3). 

   No matter what question you have, the Holy Spirit is the answer. No matter what problem you face, the Holy Spirit is the solution. You need as much of him as you can get, so you need to yield as much of yourself to him as you can.





— SCRIPTURE —

    'The Helper, the Holy Spirit...will teach you all things.' John 14:26 NKJV
— SOULFOOD —

    Ezra 3-5, Matt 28:1-10, Ps 42:1-5, Pro 19:12-14
    

Jesus said: 'The Helper, the Holy Spirit...will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you' (John 14:26 NKJV). When you need to make a critical decision, you need 'the spirit of wisdom and revelation' (Ephesians 1:17 NKJV). When you're in a difficult situation and unsure of what to say: 'Just say whatever is given to you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit' (Mark 13:11 NIV). When you find it hard to show love: 'The fruit of the Spirit is love' (Galatians 5:22 NIV). The same is true with every fruit of the Spirit. Do you need to overcome an addiction? 'The fruit of the Spirit is...self-control' (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV). Of course, that's an oxymoron because it doesn't come from you. It's the Spirit who manufactures it, so it's really Spirit-control. What you need more of is the Holy Spirit. And for the record, the Spirit of God doesn't just want to fill you; he also wants to stretch you and increase your capacity. If you feel like your life is in chaos today, the Spirit of God is hovering - just as he did at the dawn of creation when he brought light out of darkness, order out of chaos and beauty out of nothingness (see Genesis 1:1-3). No matter what question you have, the Holy Spirit is the answer. No matter what problem you face, the Holy Spirit is the solution. You need as much of him as you can get, so you need to yield as much of yourself to him as you can.
 
 — SCRIPTURE — 
 'The Helper, the Holy Spirit...will teach you all things.' John 14:26 NKJV 
 — SOULFOOD — 
 Ezra 3-5, Matt 28:1-10, Ps 42:1-5, Pro 19:12-14

Start your day with God

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