What is your first waking thought? “Good Morning Lord” or “Good Lord, Morning”?

In Psalm 143:8 King David wrote, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way to go, for to you I lift up my soul.” (NIV) I also like the KJV: “Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning …”

He writes about starting each day by conversing with God because David enjoyed a personal relationship with Him. We too can experience God in this same way. God is ready to let us know He loves us every morning. King David says God does this for those people, like himself, who have put their trust in Him. Do you trust God? He talks about lifting up his soul to God in prayer – giving himself to God in the morning to be used by Him throughout the day. Because the king is committing himself to God he asks that, in turn, God would show him the way to go and tell him what to do that day. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have your life mapped out this way?

Do you remember those old Polaroid ‘instant’ cameras? I had one years ago. The chemicals for developing the picture were inside the plastic picture enclosure itself. One took a snap shot and then there was a whirring sound that came from the camera. The undeveloped picture came out of the camera and there it was in your hand slowly changing right before your eyes!

At first there didn’t seem to be anything there. It was just all white but as one waited the picture slowly began to take form. It was fun to watch! At first the image was barely visible and very fuzzy. No one could make out what it was. It is like me trying to see without my glasses on! But as time elapsed the picture became clearer and clearer.

Often God’s will for us personally appears to develop over time like that picture. If we are listening He will communicate to us in a way that we can understand what He wants us to do and the path to take. He sometimes reveals His will to us slowly, a little at a time. The Polaroid picture develops. He never overwhelms us with too much all at once! He may at first challenge us by giving us the general idea of what He wants. As time goes by he reveals more and more and the details of what He wants begin to appear. The picture He is developing takes shape becoming clearer and sharper. Finally we understand what He is communicating to us.

M y prayer: Lord, in the early stages of m y under- standing

want to ssure You, like David did, that I am willing to trust You. I give myself completely to You desiring to do whatever You want me to do. I’ll go step by step, minute by minute down whatever path You ask me to take even though I cannot see very far ahead and the details may at present be only fuzzy to me. Guide me and use me as You wish. Thank you for being willing to show me Your love starting in the morning.

I want to mention that I got the Polaroid camera idea of God revealing His will for us from a book I recently read written by Kay Warren called, “Dangerous Surrender. What happens when you say Yes to God?” U.S.A.: Zondervan, 2007. Print.

Jack Gault is an elder and spiritual leader at Bethel Bible Chapel in Shelburne. work that you