RISE AND SHINE - TWO DISCIPLINES TO START YOUR DAY RIGHT

When is the best time to set your mind on a peacefully, happy and productive day? Of course, it is either before we physically get out of bed or the first act, thereof. Ideally, the first words of out our mouths should be words of gratitude to the Lord, that we made it another day. Each day many do not have that privilege and blessing, and of course, one day, it will be our turn to transition into eternity.

But for now, the best discipline after rising is not heading for the coffee pot but towards prayer. Prayer to the Lord Most High, Maker of Heaven and earth, Who regardless of what non-believers say, made the earth six literal days - yet He has existed from Eternity Past. His goings are from long ago, the Bible says. He is the Ancient of Days, the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and the End Who sees the end from the beginning.

As we progress in physical age, we do need to stretch when standing downright upright and push-ups, backstretches and more are the way to go. The best stretching, however, is the one we do in order to benefit our very souls. Here are just a couple easy yet sometimes difficult to maintain, steps to begin this process more productively. These are actually a better use of time to engage the Bible with your prayer life and not lose interest or the zeal to continue.

Most Christians who follow these disciplines will sit down and start reading a chapter in the Bible, or pick out something at random. Very few, but enough actually follow a Bible reading plan. Picking a book or passage of the Bible at random to read through and then pray sometimes only lasts THAT long for the average person.

The best way to do this is:

    -   Step 1: FIRST - RIGHT OFF THE BAT - read a Psalm in the Bible and/or start reading through the entire New Testament, one chapter at a time. The Books of the New Testament are not just shorter than those of the Old Testament, but their chapters are shorter and to the point of the Life, Ministry and Expectations of Christ. If you decide to read a Psalm, read only ONE Psalm per day, or 8 or so verses of another long one, and then, close the Bible, thereby getting ready to proceed to Step 2.

     -  Step 2: In this daily morning time, we continue in  our chair or quiet living room or study, and proceed to prayer time. What the reading of the Bible BEFORE praying does is to remove the tendency for our minds to stray off into la-la land and be easily distracted. The discipline (and it is a learned habit or discipline) engaged in here, focuses our minds and spirits right away on "The LORD says" in His Word, and no attack from the prince of darkness, who rules the air temporarily, can distract from this Truth! The other way, if you pray first and have a long list of requests for others and yourself, by the time you get to the Bible, the flesh and the mind are not in full alignment and the goal is to get this over with as soon as possible. If this is the case and a hard habit to break, it is better to continue with the Bible reading in the middle of the day at work, or during the lunch hour. This way, the Word of God is never disengaged from us, and we fulfill Psalm 1:2 where Scripture exhorts to meditate on the Word "day and night".

These two steps, when activated on a daily (preferable) or as much as possible, will not only enhance our Spiritual Maturity and Growth in Christ, but will, in very short time, become second nature. The key to enabling, activating and executing these two simple steps is Time. Each Christian can spare 5-10 minutes per morning to spend with the Lord in Bible reading and Prayer. He or she can most definitely spend that and more, during a busy day, if you and I prioritize, even if the kiddos are screaming for breakfast at 6:30 am and you are unable to find even two minutes to pray. 

Make time for the Lord, when you can. It is the best investment in your day, you can ever make. The stock market is not even a close second. Rise and shine, and give God the Glory - and watch Him grant you and I, His peace, grace, love and mercy. Amen.

A VERSE AND A THOUGHT: PSALM 24:6 - "TWO STEPS, IN PURSUIT OF....."

This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face—even Jacob....(Psalm 24:6)
In Bible terms, the word “generation” is the people who are alive at a point in time. God uses the word, which comes from the original word “dor”. God says in Judges 2:10 (All that generation also were gathered to their fathers, and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel).

Jesus Himself came down hard on the lost people at that time, who was only half as bad as the sick culture today in Matthew 12:39 (But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet). He did so because while their mouths and fake religious “beliefs” said they were looking for a Messiah, their conduct was just like the pagans all around them. Nothing has changed in the 21st century.

Most people alive, since time began, were wicked and perverse “generations”. However, there were those who came to know the Lord, love Him for Who He is, and then passionately desire to know Him. Joshua, God’s great General, who was Moses’ understudy led the young Israelites into the Promised Land after God dispatched with all their rebellious elders. This group served the Lord. Josiah brought revival years later when they found the book of the Law of God and read it out loud.

Modern man does not seek or look for God. Most people who because true Christians claim to “find” God but from personal experience and the Bible, we know this is not so. No one seeketh after God, no one (declares the Lord).  God rescues us when we finally come to the end of ourselves, cry out to Him and repent. It is only when the Great Pursuit begins!

The English translation of the word the Holy Spirit used in this psalm – “darash” – is not very accurate. It sounds great, as poetry, but the Great Pursuit is not about “seek” but Studying! So now, we see what God is leading us towards. Everywhere these days we have 40 days of this, 31 days of that, 15-day program or 48 hours on CBS. What the Lord presents here are two simple steps.
     1. “Those who seek Him”: as shown in the paragraph above, this actually means “Study” Him. Bible study is what it means. How can you and I know about God if we do not know Who He is; How He operates;  Why He does what He does and What we should expect….unless we get to know Him. Like any other relationship, we must know the God Who saved us. What the English translation translates as "seek", should actually be "study"(the Scriptures) to learn the very Attributes (or Characteristics) and Ways of God, with Whom we will be spending eternity! Bible study, praying the Scriptures as well as daily prayer to Heaven are the keys.
     2. Once we study the Word and the Word Who became flesh – Jesus, as well as our Heavenly Father,  Psalm 24:6 says there is the second step or “who seek His Face”. This is another incomplete translation because we literally cannot see the Face of God, as He is until we get to Heaven. What we can do is what the actual word use says, which is, being in the very Presence of God – His Manifest Presence.  The general presence of God is the fact that He is EVERYWHERE- Omnipresent, to the saved and the unsaved. His Manifest Presence though is exclusive. His Manifest Presence was in the Garden of Eden when He walked in the cool of the day. His Manifest Presence was in the Tabernacle with Moses, Aaron in the desert. His Manifest Presence was at Calvary when God gave His life and opened up Heaven for all mankind. So now, we seek “His Face” or “His Manifest Presence” in one way only – Worship, prayer, and supplication. The Holy Spirit clears the path for us to be in His Presence when we respond, clearly and with righteousness, to come humbly to the Throne of Grace.

Seeking God and Seeking His Face = studying Him through His Word in addition to praise, pressing in and proclaiming His Holy Name.