A Road Map for Life | Beginning With GodSample

BEGINNING YOUR DAY WITH GOD (Psalm 5)

For many years, I would never have considered myself a morning person, but the older I get, the more I love the morning hours. Maybe it is age or a little more maturity. I am learning that the morning hours are wonderful hours.

Psalm 5 is a "morning psalm." While the previous psalm showed us how to end our day with God, this one shows us how to begin our day with Him. Both were written at about the same time when David was fleeing for his life from his son Absalom. It fits between II Samuel 17 and 18 when the king and his allies were weary, hungry, and thirsty.

After a few hours of sleep, they would have to face another day on the run. It would be another day of stress, strain, and struggle. What will they do? Listen to the words of Psalm 5, beginning with verses 1-3.

“Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”

This is known as an imprecatory psalm — a psalm of prayer against the enemies. Remember, these are not only David’s enemies; they are also God’s. But I love the fact that in this prayer, David’s eyes are not on his enemies but on the Lord.

If you get nothing else here, note that he said he would “look up.” That is great advice for us. Look up to Him. Don’t concentrate on your enemy or your circumstances. Don’t just look at your schedule for today. Look up. When you look up, it changes your perspective. It certainly did that for David, and it is the reason he was able to live through this season of life and come out with victory on the other side.

What does this psalm say about God? He is the God who sees you and hears you. He knew where David was. He had His eye on him and His ear open to his prayer.

Verses 4-6: “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.”

He described a God who will always do right in the end. He is going to make things right. He will deal with those who are against Him and restore those who have been faithful to Him. David is evidence of that. Absalom, the rebel son, is evidence of the other side of that coin.

Which side are you on today? Which way are you going to live your life? That question brings us to what Psalm 5 says about us, which is that the way you begin your day will affect the entire day.

I marked in my Bible where the word “morning” was used twice in verse 3. David purposed to make his voice heard before the Lord during that time and to look in His direction. What are you going to do in the morning hours?

Oswald Chambers, the great devotional writer, wrote:

“Specific times and places and communion with God go together. It is by no haphazard chance, that in every age, men have risen early to pray. The first thing that marks a decline in spiritual life, is our relationship to the early morning...If you've ever prayed in the dawn, you'll ask yourself why you were so foolish as not to do it always. It is difficult to get into communion with God amidst the business of the day. It is not simply that it is easier to get direction in the early morning; it is a profound revelation that that is the time when direction comes.”

You may not always love getting out of bed in the morning, but you should love meeting God early in the morning. That is when you can get your eyes on the Lord and your ears in tune with His voice.

Don’t just get up. Get awake. Get yourself spiritually alert and do whatever you have to do to get yourself with the program -- whether it is a cup of coffee, a shower, breakfast, or exercise.

Get moving. But also get your mind and heart in tune with God. Why? Because in the morning, God is charting a course for the entire day.

It is a matter of direction. He said, I'm going to look up. I will get my eyes on the Lord.

It's a matter of devotion. He's not just looking up. He's looking up in prayer. He's talking to God. The entire psalm is a conversation with God and he's meditating.

Did you hear the opening verse? “Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.” David was thinking about the Lord, and then ushering those thoughts into the throne room of God in prayer. He talked to God about what was on his heart.

That is what communing with the Lord is all about. And the best time to meet with God is the morning. Do not wait until you are in the middle of the day, when you are dealing with so many things pulling on you, and people pressing on you. Do it early in the day, to get your heart in tune with God.

It is not only a matter of direction and devotion; it is a matter of decision. You are going to have to decide for yourself. This is really what marks people who make the most of every day and those who miss their opportunity.

Verse 7: “But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.” David knew he could not answer for everyone else, fix every problem and straighten everyone else out. But he could go to God for what he needed.

What are you going to do? Would you come into God’s house this morning, into the throne room of Heaven? Would you look to the Lord and think of Him? Would you direct your prayers and worship toward His throne?

You must choose to worship. You must choose whether to obey God today.

The rest of this particular psalm shows the great distinction and division between those who worship God and those who do not. David described some wicked men in these verses.

- The person who looks up has joy | The person who does not is miserable.

- The person who looks up has blessings | The person who does not is miserable.

Dr. Lee Roberson used to say, “Two men behind prison bars; one looked at the mud, the other the stars.” What is the difference? One was looking down and one was looking up.

As you begin your day, stop looking at everybody else or your agenda for the day. Put your phone down and put away social media for a few moments. Open the Word of God and meditate on Scripture. Spend time with God and get your heart in tune with Him.

If you make the most of the morning, you will make the most of the whole day. Let this psalm be your prayer, and start your day by looking up.