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Scripture for the day: Psalm 63:1-3 O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.
Thought for the day: Have you ever wondered why the early church chose to make the first day of the week a holy day? I know the obvious answer; they were celebrating the resurrection of the Savior, and I agree that’s reason enough. There’s something else though, that would be good for us to consider and it’s just this; there is great benefit in beginning what will certainly be a hectic week for the majority of us with a time of rest and spiritual renewal. If we purposefully spend time in His presence, we may be assured that He will prepare us to take His reality into a lost and dying world. Spending time with the Father, as Jesus so often did, equips us for victory over every sin and temptation.
What’s true for the first day of the week, is equally true for the first hour of the day. When I spend that quiet time in His presence each day, before I am forced to confront situations and people that would steal the peace of the Savior, I can walk out into the chaos fully clothed with the armor of God and nothing Satan brings against me can prevail. That time I set aside before anything else is accomplished is like filling my tank with fuel; I can pull out into the traffic of life and not worry that I’m going to run out of fuel before the day is done. I find obedience to be so much easier when I’ve already dedicated all the day’s circumstances to Him.
But what is my real motivation for spending valuable time with Him? It must be, pure and simple, the desire for fellowship with God. To spend devotional time because we’re supposed to, because it’s part of our religious life will turn that opportunity into a burden and we’ll be better off without it. No, the only reason for getting up earlier or refusing other valuable early-morning pursuits, is to have more of God in our lives and to be encouraged by His presence. We’re not going to get that advantage while running about and fulfilling our duties as fast as our legs can carry us. We simply can’t.
If it’s true that the real battle for our souls is won or lost in the closet of prayer, then the importance of that time we spend with Him is that much more important. It is in those few moments that we decide, each and every day, whether or not God will have all of us, whether or not we will live a life of obedience. If the battle is won in those first few moments of the day, victory is assured and we can go boldly to the field of contention.
Remember Gideon? He’s always been one of my favorite biblical characters. I think that’s because I relate to what Gideon thought of himself. When the Lord came to commission him to His purpose for the future, Gideon said, “Wait! What? Who do you think You’re talking to Lord? You call me a mighty man of God when in fact I’m the guy they’re talking about when they speak of scraping the bottom of the barrel. I’m not up to the task You’ve given me.”
And God said, “You’re right; but I am up to it. Just give me what you have and I’ll do the rest.” So, Gideon went out in all the strength he had, relying on God’s promise of victory that had come during his quiet time with the Lord. He implemented the most unlikely battle plan since the children of Israel had spent a week walking around the outside of Jericho.
We meet with God first to lay our will at His feet. We wait patiently while He gives us our marching orders, knowing His protective hand is on our every movement throughout the day. And we move out into the fray, surrounded by His protection, fully equipped to meet every challenge through the power of His Spirit. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Now go take on your world. - Bill