First Light With THE LIGHT

March 13, 2021

“All I need today is a little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus.” This is a quote I have seen in recent years. I think it’s cute and for those of us who like to have our quiet time in the Bible with a cup of coffee, the quote rings true. But really, if we are honest with ourselves, it is only half true. We do need Jesus, but coffee, well… Before you snarl at me, know that I am a coffee lover, I start each day with a cup of brew. I am not negating the fact that coffee is a great way to kick start the day. However, coffee does not fall in the “need” category. Our needs are met in Christ, not coffee. (Philippians 4:19)

Do you start each day with Jesus? Do thoughts of Him enter your mind when you first wake?

Since I have been a Christian, I believe that every morning when I awake, I think upon the Lord first. But sadly, I cannot say that every morning when I awake that I commune with Him first. There is this little rectangular device I use as an alarm clock, but it is so much more than that. It is also a phone; a calendar; a mail source; a news source, a media source; a camera; a calculator; a notepad; and even a Bible with a concordance, dictionary, Bible commentaries, Bible devotionals, and ministry apps! This little rectangular device contains a lot of great resources! The list of features this small device contains is remarkable but they are not necessarily needful to my daily life and I can easily be distracted from my Lord.

The Bible tells us the importance of seeking God first. In Psalms 63:1-2 we read, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.”

Our thirst every morning should not just be coffee, but Jesus! To seek the Him with great desire! In Psalm 5:3 we read, “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” God can hear us at any time of the day or night but there is something significant about pursuing God when we first awaken. Each new day is a creation of God. We are to be thankful and rejoice with each new day! (Psalm 118:24) God is faithful. Every morning His mercies are new. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Since most of us do not awaken with great vigor, seeking the Lord’s strength every morning is advantageous. More importantly we should be seeking God’s guidance for each new day. King David asked God to “cause” him to hear. He wanted the Lord to provoke or generate a desire in him to listen for God’s guidance with each new day. Psalm 143:8 “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.” Seeking and listening for God does not come naturally, it comes spiritually.

I find that my smartphone caters to my natural state more than to my spiritual state. Therefore, I must purposefully turn off my morning alarm and not allow myself to become entertained by the smartphone’s many features. The enemy does not want me to start the day seeking the Lord. Distraction is one of his best schemes. There is so much evil going on in the world! If I am not seeking God first thing in the morning, I usually become discouraged and overwhelmed before noon!

As Christians, our entire days should be filled with Christ. Scripture tells us to walk in the Spirit and be in communication with our Lord continually. (Galatians 5:16, 5:25, 1 Thessalonians 5:17) Continually begins first thing in morning. I urge you and as I urge you, I am urging myself too! Start each new day with Jesus! Make the most of the time you are given. (Ephesians 5:16, Psalm 90:12) Seek and submit yourself unto God, do not allow the enemy to interrupt your devotion to Jesus! (James 5:7)

My prayer is that every morning when the Lord opens our eyes, we will look to Him first.

❤️🙏

Scripture For Further Study

Psalm 1:2, Matthew 6:6, Matthew 6:33, Mark 1:35-37, John 15:4-7, Hebrews 11:6