by Kevin Burton
“Come and dine,” said the resurrected Jesus to his disciples. It was early in the morning and the table was set.
I use the term table loosely. The setting was the shore by the Sea of Tiberius. Most of the remaining 11 disciples had gone fishing with Simon Peter the night before, catching nothing. From the shore, Jesus called out that they should switch the nets from the right, to the left side of their ship.
You know the story from John 21. The fishermen then caught so many fish that they struggled to bring the nets in to shore.
Jesus had fish and bread baking on a fire of coals. He then told the disciples to add some fish from their miraculous catch – not the first such catch Jesus had orchestrated (See Luke 5).
What a way to start the day!
Though our circumstances will never be exactly like that literal breakfast with Jesus, we can start each morning with God in His word, and set the stage for more joy in our lives.
“You’ve probably heard people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” reads a message from in Touch Ministries. “A similar concept applies to our heart and mind. “
“The fuel we give them each morning greatly affects the remainder of the day. Think of time in God’s Word, prayer, and meditation as spiritual nourishment for your relationship with the Father.”
There have been some long periods of my life when I had enough discipline to read the Bible and pray each morning first thing. Those days always work out better than others, when I get bogged down in something else in the early morning.
I would like to say circumstances forced me out of that special morning time sometimes, but probably I just got spiritually lazy.
Why wouldn’t we set our days on a heavenly trajectory by praying over challenges, asking God to guide us through what on some days we know in advance will be tough sledding.
“David began his day with the Lord. In Psalm 63, he described seeking God early (the literal translation of “earnestly”) reads the In Touch passage. “Having woken up hungry for time with his Creator, he rejoiced that his soul found satisfaction with the fullness of the Lord. And David broke out in thanksgiving and praise.”
“Just imagine having a day like that—filled with joy and gratitude. This is possible when we begin of our day with God, listening to Him speak through His Word and then talking with Him. Seeking the Lord not only fills our empty soul; it also increases our hunger for Him.”
Now some of you are not morning people, and are used to doing devotions at other times. Some have children to get ready for school and can’t always get free time in the morning.
Praying first thing in the day is good. It has certainly worked for me, but it is not a requirement according to a passage on the website http://www.gotquestions.org.
“Psalm 63 communicates King David’s profound love for God. So deep was his desire for intimate fellowship with the Lord that, even in the desert, David longed for Him more than water:
“O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water” Psalm 63:1 NKJV).
“The phrase translated ‘early will I seek You’ in the King James Version is rendered differently in most modern translations. For example: ‘Earnestly I seek you’ (NIV, ESV), ‘I eagerly seek you’ (CSB), and ‘I earnestly search for you’ (NLT).”
“In the original Hebrew, the concept of seeking in Psalm 63:1 refers to diligent, wholehearted searching that involves a strong desire focused on developing a relationship with the desired object,” the passage reads.
“Seeking the Lord early in the morning may result from our eager, earnest longing for fellowship with God, but there is no biblical requirement for when we must pursue Him.”
That’s fair enough. But making first thing first by beginning your day with God is something I would recommend – or giving it a try at least.
And if you do choose to start mornings with God, and miss a day or two here and there. Don’t let that trip you up. Just get back to spending time with God.
“Do you find it challenging to set apart time with the Lord each morning? Habits begin with baby steps, not overwhelming resolutions,” the In Touch passage reads. “Start this morning. Set aside five minutes. Be consistent and add a few minutes as you are able. You’ll be amazed by the difference it makes.”
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