"Whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery...and land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven."
– Helaman 3:29-30
In the last few weeks I have become a morning person. I set my alarm so I can get up an hour before any of the kids do. I pour my breakfast drink, sit down at my computer, and pull out my scriptures. This is the time I have to start my day right, studying God's word.
In Exodus, the children of Israel were blessed with manna from heaven. They had to go out early every morning to collect it, and they could only gather enough for that one day, because it wouldn't keep through the night.
"And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted."
– Exodus 16:21
I have tried studying my scriptures during different times of the day, but early morning seems to work the best for me. Not only do I have some dedicated, personal time with (almost) no interruptions, but it clears my mind and sets my feet on the Lord's path first thing, before other distractions and responsibilities creep up on my day. If I try to read later in the day, I never have more than one or two minutes to sit by myself before someone or something needs my attention. Like the manna, my opportunity for scripture study has melted away, and I have to try again the next day.
I have also found that daily scripture study does my heart and spirit good. Like a daily ration of manna, it feeds my soul, and fills my belly with peace and comfort. My faith is strengthened as I read gospel truth and study the words of Christ and His prophets.
I wouldn't ever consider intentionally going without food for an entire day (unless I'm fasting, which I will talk about later.) So why should I consider going without spiritual food for an entire day? Our spirits truly pine for the presence of God, and you can feel this when you read the scriptures and feel your heart rejoice as you read.
I encourage you to start today and read your scriptures daily. Read them early and start your day right with spiritual manna from heaven.
With love,
I loved this! It is my favorite part, Jean. Thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteThis was awesome! I have never thought about it in this way - manna. I too notice the difference from studying early morning and not studying. There doesn't ever seem like enough time. Thanks for linking in this week.
ReplyDeleteMornings work best for me, too. I've become quite protective of my morning quiet time!
ReplyDeleteVisiting from "Getting Down with Jesus."
I agree that reading the Word first thing in the morning really makes the rest of my day. I can tell a difference when I don't. The problem is that I am not a morning person, and it is always a struggle for me to get up before the kids. It is something that I have to be diligent with. Thank you for the reminder to make it a priority!
ReplyDeleteMegan @ wwwsunshinethroughthewindows.blogspot.com
Mornings work best for me as well. It helps set the tone of my day and gives me something to cling to as I go about my daily tasks.
ReplyDeleteSpiritual reading is very important to me on a daily basis. Sometimes morning, sometimes evening. But following the heart and call of my Lord is the important part. I'm blessed to have that opportunity.
ReplyDelete