The house is quiet at 5 am. I use the light of my phone to find my way to the coffee pot. My early morning companion, Benny, joins me. I know he sees my habit of rising early as annoying; he loves to sleep snuggled deep in dog dreams. I check the thermostat along the way and raise it a few degrees, and he looks at me in agreement.
We settle in the family room next to the lighted Christmas tree. The silence of the house is mesmerizing. I love this time of day, suspended between the darkness and the early morning light. My mind is free from distraction as I mentally pull up a list of people for whom to pray. These are people who are suffering one way or another; the Lord has put them on my heart. I finish praying and open the Bible and pick up reading from the day before. I truly love this part where God speaks to me from the truth of His word. Sometimes I laugh, He does have a sense of humor, and sometimes I cry because of His mercy. It is a time carved out just for God and me. After I finish reading a chapter or two in the Bible, I pick up a devotional and conclude my morning time with the Lord.
I must admit, I love devotionals. They remind me of the refresh button on my computer. You know when something goes wrong, the computer freezes, and you refresh. It updates the changes made in the folder. My life is similar, and I get stuck in a train of thought, a bad behavior, I lose focus. Devotions refresh my mind and soul. They also bring me deeper in my relationship with God. Reminding me of His infinite love, His desire for an intimate relationship with me. Time alone to hear His voice.
If you are looking for a devotional, I have one I would like to recommend. Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman. It is full of encouragement, which is exactly what most of us need today. Mrs. Cowman wrote the book in the early 1900s when her husband was dying. Out of this time of tragedy, this beautifully written devotional came to life. If you are looking to deepen your spiritual life, I highly recommend this book.
Blessings,
Gigi Lori
The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.
C. S. Lewis
Comments