At the command of the Lord the Israelites camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They looked to the Lord every morning to see if He was moving out or having them stay put. Is that how you start your day? Do you look to God for your next move?

Or, do you have a schedule, a plan, not just for today but for the week, the month, the year, the coming years and you just go with your plan and from time to time ask God to bless it? Why ask God to bless plans that may not be His? If we are following His plan, it is automatically blessed.

Blessed doesn’t mean easy. Blessed doesn’t mean financially successful. Blessed means God is in it and with you and fruit is being produced and you are enjoying His presence because you are going together.

The title of these lessons I’ve been writing is “Good Morning, Lord.” It is from a little prayer that I have prayed thousands of times. I learned it in a children’s sermon decades ago. “Good morning, Lord, this is Your day. I am Your child. Show me Your way.”

I prayed that all through college, faithfully reciting it before I even got out of bed. It was on my mind each morning when I woke to tend to a baby while we were overseas as missionaries. It’s how I start my day. Is your first thought: “It’s Your day, Lord, what do you want to do with it?” Or is it a moan that it’s another day?

Think of the wave offering. The day was given to you, so you give it to God, and then He gives it back to you with new consecrated purpose. This day is a gift. We receive it with thanksgiving and we’re quick to offer it back with even more thanksgiving. Then we receive it with eternal gratitude because it’s been consecrated to the God of heaven for His eternal glorious purposes.

His purposes aren’t about accomplishing grand things for Him. His purposes are love. You are accomplishing His purposes if you show love today. What’s love? Love is patient, kind, not jealous, proud, or rude. It isn’t self-seeking and doesn’t demand its own way. It’s not irritable and doesn’t think about when it was wronged. It is always hopeful and never gives up.

Be love today and fulfill His glorious purpose for your life.