Core Scripture: “Embrace and rejoice in the day made by the Lord.” (Psalm 118:24)

Message: The thought was there.  Clear as day.  I couldn’t escape it, so I decided to embrace this whisper. 

Today is going to be a good day. 

The irony was the timing.  Normally when I am jolted awake by my alarm at midnight to go to work, I want to hit the snooze.  Sometimes I do.  But not this day.

I rolled out of bed and made my way downstairs, smelling the sweet aroma of freshly brewed coffee.  Prayer time and coffee go hand and hand with me. 

Psalm 18:2 was waiting for me as the verse of the day:

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me,

    and my place of safety.”

Peace swept over me as I reflected on that scripture.  It gave me hope, and that today is going to be a good day thought became more real to me.  There was no doubt in my mind that it was planted there by the Holy Spirit. 

The thought was so powerful that I had to share it.  So, I did.  With my friend Danzell.  It didn’t matter that I was texting him in the middle of the night.  He appreciates it any time I encourage him with scripture. 

The end of the devotion encouraged me to reflect on how good God is and how He has led me through the wilderness.  I began that prayer, but my eyes lifted to the clock on the wall.  It was time to leave for work.

May as well finish praying in the car.  Have you ever tried that?  It is quiet.  You are on autopilot driving where you already know how to navigate.  It can be a powerful moment.

Even more powerful?  The song that was playing right as I turned on the ignition.  I let “How Great Thou Art” play through, continuing my devotion through worship. 

The perfect song at the perfect time.  Has that ever happened to you?  God becomes that much more real to me at those moments, and it is not coincidence.  He plants those songs just to remind us how much He loves us.

As the song ended, I muted the volume and continued my prayer.  I thanked Him for His presence in the dark times of my life.  And when I arrived at Amazon, I was ready to live out that today is going to be a good day thought. 

Not surprisingly, it was a good day!  I worked with a pep in my step, but that is not saying temptation did not come.  I found myself complaining about lack of efficiency to a colleague but humbled myself and apologized.

“That’s okay, Dr. Clint!” Glenn replied. 

Glenn is a fellow believer, and I call him Fist Bump Glenn.  He never fails to encourage me with a fist bump when we cross paths. 

Yes, it was indeed a good day.  Not so much because of anything I did but even more because I allowed God’s whisper to become real. 

My advice?  Listen to those whispers.  Embrace them.  Live them out to find the small beauties He plants for us to see. 

Challenge: A good friend of mine shared a podcast with me from Focus on the Family entitled “Renewing Your Mind, Rewiring Your Brain.”  I listened to it on a walk yesterday and encourage you to do the same.  It is amazing how we can train our brain to think of good things, using scripture as a springboard to navigate life.

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/broadcast/renewing-your-mind-rewiring-your-brain

Song application: “Okay” by Forrest Frank

Lord, I’m just grateful that I got to wake up today
You take my worries and hurries and fade ’em to grey
You have good plans for me, that’s what You say
That’s how I know everything is gonna be

Okay (okay)
We’re gonna be okay, yeah (oh, yeah)
Okay (okay)
We’re gonna be okay, yeah (oh, yeah)

Just for fun: Talking about God’s whisper reminds me a little bit of Field of Dreams.  Ever seen the movie?  That voice whispers down to Kevin Costner, telling him to “go the distance,” and “if you build it, he will come.” 

That movie was popular when I was working my first job as a cart boy at a golf course.  I drove that rickety range cart around to pick up golf balls, washed them clean, and scrubbed the members golf clubs till they shined.  When all that was done, I had plenty of down time. 

One day I found myself in the empty pro shop, waiting for the men’s club championship playoff to finish.  I saw the microphone to call golfers to the tee and got this idea that I could be that voice!  Proof that the human brain does not fully develop until you are 25.

Let’s just say the assistant pro was not too happy when my whisper of “Go the distance” echoed over the whole golf course, startling the players who were getting ready to putt nearby.  Scotty, if you are reading this, I am totally sorry!    

Prayer: Lord, help me hear Your whispers, and give me the courage to obey them.  Amen.