Each morning I start my day out with a devotion from Jesus Calling. Erin recommended the book last year and it has been an integral part of day since I picked it up at LifeWay. Each day I feel like it is speaking the words I need to hear most. Some days I’m extremely convicted. Some days I’m humbled and thankful. No matter how I feel after reading my morning devotion, one thing is for sure, my day is always a little sweeter.
This morning the verse at the bottom of the reading was Psalms 13:5, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.”
It’s hard to have a bad day when God’s unfailing love is at the forefront of my mind.
Today’s devotion was just what I needed. Lately I’ve been thinking about how my first response to a problem is to worry. Instead I should immediately take it to God and trust that he will handle it, that come what may, he’ll make everything okay.
I remember a missionary coming to our church once and speaking about handing out Bibles to people in other countries. Countries where there isn’t access to the Word unless someone from our country brings it over and shares it with them. He spoke about one particular instance in which he was handing them out to schools and how one group of students walked half of the day in order to get there hands on a Bible. Some barefoot, they told him that they stayed close together and sang songs to ward off any wild animals as they traveled.
I can’t help but long for the hunger they have for the Word. How they would walk for hours in less than stellar conditions, even face death just to get their hands on something we have lying around or stuck back in drawers.
Today I felt convicted by these thoughts.
Today I realized that the joy I get from reading the Bible or studying the Word is something I often take for granted.
I’m going to work harder to put my Bible studies first. Pray for a hunger for the Bible like these people who would do just about anything to get their hands on even a single page of His Word.
I have no doubt that starting my day out with a simple devotion makes life a little sweeter. I can’t imagine what a deeper study would do for my attitude and outlook.
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