“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'” Lamentations 3:22-24

This morning came a little too quickly. It’s been a week of getting the kiddos back into their early morning school routines. Half asleep, after I slipped on my cozy slippers, I headed straight to the coffee maker needing a serious dose of awakeness.

It has been a full week of making lunches, going to appointments, making decisions, picking up kiddos, answering emails – you know the kind. Busy. Full. Constant motion.

As I stood next to the coffee maker, the to-do list began pulling at my mind. A lot of days, I give into the pull. I find my phone and look for the texts I need to respond to and the emails calling for attention. Before I know it, I am off like the wind trying to conquer the days’ to-do’s.

But lately, I’ve felt a whisper in my soul:

Get the Word in first. The rest will fall into place.

So this morning, although it felt hard because of the pull of my to-do list and the feeling of not wanting to miss anything important on my phone, I poured cinnamon vanilla creamer into my coffee cup, took a slow-down kind of breath, and fought the urge to enter go-mode. I turned towards my cozy chair in the front living room and away from the phone and email and chose to enter the quietness of Jesus’ company.

It’s not easy to do, but the peace that follows makes it so worth it.

I want to choose that every day.

I bet you feel the pull of the urgent stuff too first thing in the morning. Does your mind swirl with dates, to-do’s, emails, etc.? Does the pull of social media pull you away from a peaceful morning? Does your email inbox suck you in and disturb your sense of calm?

I want to invite you to experience a more peaceful morning. This will be a gift to your soul, a relief to your weary heart, and a way to start your day with more peace and strength.

Jesus wants to pour peace into your heart before the day begins so that you:

Experience peace all day instead of anxiety.Hear His voice throughout the day instead of the noise of the world.Have a new-found trust in the Lord with your life.Can walk in faith from being rooted in His Word.

Let’s walk through a few tips to help us choose to get the Word in first:

Use the power of sticky notes. A little forethought goes a long way and will help you remember to choose the quietness over the noise. Write something like, Word first, and stick it right on your coffee maker or on your nightstand so that you see it first thing when you wake up.Have your quiet time materials ready to go. Help your morning-self out a bit by taking a few minutes the night before to set out your Bible, a journal, pens, a devotional book, or whatever you use for your quiet time. Take a quick second to make it a cozy spot. Have a blanket ready and set up a cozy spot that you’ll look forward to sitting in. Have some kind of plan for what you will read in the morning. Keep the phone far, far away from your nightstand or the coffeemaker! This is important! The saying is so true, out of sight, out of mind. Let the phone spend the night in a desk drawer or on a charger in a room you will not go into first thing in the morning.Ask God to give you the strength to choose Him. You don’t have to choose Him in your own strength. As your feet hit the floor in the morning, whisper a simple prayer in your heart, Lord, help me choose You first.Note the difference in your day when you choose the quiet over the noise. There are going to be days when you are unable to choose that cozy quiet time spot first thing in the morning. Give yourself grace. But do notice how you feel on those days when you have to rush into your days, versus the days you get to start with God. Let those observations inspire you to keep trying to choose Him first.

Those worries that burden your heart, those obstacles in your life that feel impossible, and the heavy loads you carry day each day are the very things God wants to hear about in your time with Him. He looks forward to hearing from you and giving you the wisdom and strength you need for each new day. His mercies, His presence, His help – it’s all available to you every morning.

Choose to get the Word in first, trust that the rest (your plans, to-do’s, appointments, etc.) will all fall into place.

Tell me more about your mornings in the comments. What’s hard about choosing time with God over all the other stuff?

If you need a quiet time resource, you can order my newest devotional book here: Whispers and Wildflowers – 30 Days to Slow Your Pace, Savor Scripture, and Draw Close to God.

If this devo has encouraged you this morning, would you pass it onto a friend?

Praying this bit of heart hydration gives you a boost this week.

Blessings,

Sarah Beth Marr

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