The Best Wake Up Call

We woke up this morning.  If you are like me you had a pretty good sleep last night.  My usual routine is to make myself a cup of coffee, post the video for the day, and then sit down with my cup of coffee to read a bit of God's Word and pray. Why take precious moments out of busy days to do that? 

These words from the Bible remind me that God woke me up today for a reason, and it’s a reason worth paying attention to, I think.

The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. Isaiah 50:4

"Words of Wisdom" I need more wisdom than I currently have. I suspect you do as well. I remember that each time I pray the famous Serenity Prayer:  God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. 

Lots of things fit into each of those categories for which I need to know what's true and how to have the right perspective and response.  Only God can give me that and He promises to do that if I will stop and pay attention and listen to Him. 

"Opens my understanding to his will"  I can have all kinds of ideas of what is good and what I need to do today but there is in all of us such limited understanding of all of the factors going on in our lives and in the lives of others around us. 

God has a good plan for today and if we will give Him a few moments to show it to us, He will do just that.  It's what Step 11 of AA is pointing us to when it says, 

"Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us, and the power to carry it out."  I need to improve in that area today, how about you?

Loving God, You woke us up today so we could make a compassionate difference in the lives of others and leave the world a better place because we lived in this day.  We admit that we can’t figure that out as well as we should unless You show us Your will and give us understanding about what that looks like in the situations we face today.

So today, would you open our ears and our understanding so we welcome Your words of wisdom and become those people who comfort the weary and walk in Your will in this day.  Amen

Even as I think about this and write these words I feel that longing stirring my heart and I’m sure you do as well – because it is God’s heart that is seeking to inform our own.  Let’s take a few moments and listen to God and let Him inform our desires, our attitudes, and our plans for this day.