Morning Meeting with God

Our Fall Women’s Retreat is coming up. I was asked to write several Morning Devotions.
It made me think about the WHY of devotions.
Is it Bible Study?
Prayer?
What’s it all about?

Devotions have been a part of my mornings for many years, but have I forgotten the primary purpose?
Is the main thing still the main thing in my Morning Devotions?

David wrote,
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.
Psalm 5:1-3

What did David say on those mornings?
We know some of what he said from the other Psalms.
Sometimes a lament, sometimes a praise, other times a request.

But, some days it was just worship.
Just pure worship.
Meditating on God Himself.
His perfection, power, and purpose.

That’s what I thought we should begin with first.
Here is our Saturday Morning Devotion.
You may not be joining us on the shores of Lake Tahoe, but God is wherever you are.
And He is listening for your voice.

Saturday Morning Devotion

In the practice of devotion you and I have the opportunity to offer something truly meaningful to God.

That’s not a small thing.
It’s not something to think about for a moment and then let drift from your thoughts like a feather on the wind.

In this little truth is bound up the magnificent eternal purpose behind God’s mighty work of salvation.

The purpose of God in salvation is to restore our communion with Him.
Our sins had separated us from God.
In Jesus Christ we have forgiveness of sins and a new relationship, by faith, with God.
We have, as Romans 5:1-2 says, peace with God and access to the grace in which we stand.

When we neglect devotion we diminish the fruitfulness of God’s redemptive work in our lives.
Enough neglect and we run dry.

Throughout the Scriptures we see men and women of God occupied in devotion.
Their hearts are aflame with a holy passion for God.
They know Him and in response they worship Him.

After a miraculous deliverance from God’s judgment on sinners, Noah left the ark and returned to dry land.
His first recorded action was an offering to God.

And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
And the Lord smelled a sweet savour;
Genesis 8:20-21a
Noah had witnessed first-hand the destruction and death that he and his family had escaped.
He knew God as gracious, but also as holy.
He responded in faith to God’s warning and accepted the deliverance God offered.
Now Noah offers a sacrifice by faith.
His offering is a declaration of God’s holiness and his own need, of God’s sufficiency and his dependency.

And the Lord smelled a sweet savor.
This word sweet has such deep meaning.
It can be translated an odor of satisfaction.
Other definitions are soothing, quieting, and tranquilizing.
This fragrance is sweetly agreeable to God.
That’s our desire this morning.
We want God to be pleased by the fragrance of our worship.
This morning is about God, not about us.

Kindle a fire in your own heart this morning.

How?
Gather recollections of God’s holiness and majesty,
His kindness and love,
His mercy and forgiveness
His provision and your need
And His longing for your communion.

The gift of His Son is the greatest evidence that He desires communion with you.

The Psalmist shares his intention to speak to God.

My voice shall you hear in the morning,
O LORD,
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And will look up.
Psalm 5:3

Let God hear your voice and enjoy the worship welling up from deep within your soul.

Too often we come into His presence rushed and harried.
We’re driven by duty not motivated by love.
We’re focused on getting rather than giving.

So, this morning ask nothing.
Simply give.
Let your heart speak of your love for Him.

Maybe the words to this Worship song will inspire your praise and worship.

No one is good except God alone, no one is holy as He.
So we should love Him for who He is, as well as the things He has done.
We glorify God alone.
Kelly Willard

“Today, if we will hear His voice, today, this morning, if we will draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. In the hush of that nearness we shall not seek anything for ourselves, not even help, or light, or comfort; we shall forget ourselves, ‘lost in wonder, love and praise’.”
Amy Carmichael
Edges of His Ways