Discover His heart: His goodness fills us with songs of praise
We’ve all heard the old joke, “Did you wake up grumpy this morning?” “No, I just went ahead and let him sleep.” So often God puts together a night owl and a morning person in marriage – challenges right from the start! We all know that chipper morning person who jumps out of bed ready to take on the day, and then we know the night owl who considers morning totally unnecessary. Some of us are both, and we burn the candle at both ends never getting enough sleep. I love the morning, but I really don’t want to talk about it until I’ve had at least one stiff belt of coffee. Regardless of our mindset about morning, we can open our eyes each day with a confidence in our hearts that only God can give just like David did.
@Psalm 108
“My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart! Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song.” (1-2) In Psalm 108, David repeated these verses from Psalm 57, and I think this passage bears repeating as well. (See May 17@Psalms 57-59) I must admit I’ve started some days with my joy being tested. Negative thoughts and feelings have overwhelmed me. Trying to kick-start the day is like biking uphill – it’s hard work.
David expressed the right way to start the day. He woke up confident, not in himself but confident in the One who gave him the day, “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) We certainly had nothing to do with the making of this day, and if He found it valuable enough to give it to us, then we probably should be thankful for it. David woke up thankful, “I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nation.”(3) And he woke up praising, “For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.”(4-5) There’s just no room for gloom or doom when we’re focused on Him.
It’s impossible to wake up grumpy when our first thoughts are on the Lord and His goodness to us, as well as taking care of our last thoughts before we fall asleep. I often find myself singing a song I heard a few years ago, “I woke up this morning with my mind on Jesus…I saw the sunrise, and I felt the gentle breeze blow. I woke up this morning with my mind on Jesus.” (Jordan) The best part of waking up isn’t Folgers in my cup – it’s Jesus on my mind.
Moving Forward: Confident, thankful, praising and with my mind on Jesus – it’s going to be a great day!
Tomorrow @ Proverbs 23-24
Phyllis Benigas 
Self-confidence is unreliable and eventually destructive; God-confidence wins every time!