Starting Your Day With Jesus

March 28, 2011

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

How you start your day is important. So important that during this month leading up to Easter, I am asking everyone to set aside the first moments in the morning to draw near to Jesus. Every day, before you turn on the news, check the weather, or have conversations with your family, seize the time (even if it is in the quiet of waking) and acknowledge Jesus.

The morning watch is essential. You must not face the day until you have faced God, nor look into the face of others until you have looked into His. You cannot expect to be victorious if the day begins only in your own strength . . . Meet Him with His open Book of counsel before you; and face the regular and the irregular duties of each day with the influence of His personality definitely controlling your every act. ~”Streams in the Desert” Devotional

The Creator of the Universe has invited us to connect with Him. David wrote: “In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch” (Psalm 5:3). And again he says, “I will awaken the dawn” with praise (Psalm 108:2). The Lord Jesus himself would slip away and start His day in God’s presence (Luke 5:16; Mark 1:35). If Jesus did it, how much more should we!

Every one of us has a start to our day. If you work the night shift, don’t think you are missing out on being spiritual. This is not about the legalism of an exact time; it’s about seeking God first—at whatever time of the day or night that is.

So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. No man is to come up with you. Exodus 34:2-3a.

The days when I’ve started in my own strength aren’t the best days; but the most fruitful, peace-filled days happen when I’ve filled my heart with God’s presence and His Word. Get your mind fixed on what’s good, praiseworthy, true, and honorable (Philippians 4:8), and calibrate your day by putting Jesus first.

Thank God for new beginnings!
Pastor Jeff

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Streams in the Desert, P. 75, L.B. Cowman. Copyright 1996 by The Zondervan Corporation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.