A Fresh Word for Today

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”   Psalm 143:8

My husband could not stand the taste of coffee for the first 18 years of our marriage, while I would go the proverbial extra mile to get the perfect cup of coffee, the thought of heating up yesterday's left over coffee in the microwave nearly made me gag. Some of that has changed as Paul now drinks coffee every morning. We are spoiled with a fresh ground cup of brewed coffee every morning and we think it is the perfect way to start the day, sipping in the mellow mood of mornings, kick-starting the thoughts that will take us through the day. I’ll ask any non-coffee drinkers to use their imagination.

The other day I was having my perfect cup when a still small voice reminded me, that as much as I like my coffee fresh, am I content with yesterday's Word? I would never be content with yesterday's coffee, yet I can let my feet hit the floor and point myself into the day with yesterday's Word of God vaguely resting on my memory. Why is that habit of starting fresh with Him every morning so easy to let slide? I never forget to have my coffee. Let's sit at His feet together and listen to His fresh spoken Words for today.

Psalm 143:8 is rich with guidance for your day. “Let the morning bring me word…” Let, bring, these are accepting words, a receiving attitude, like accepting something handed to us. My favorite cups of coffee are handed to me by my husband. Our Loving Heavenly Father has prepared this day and He will prepare us for whatever this day brings. What is He bringing you this morning? Words of His unfailing love. This is not love like we may have known it. His Word and His love is true and faithful, unconditional and trustworthy. Perhaps your earthly experience with love and relationships doesn’t look like that. This morning He asks you to put aside those thoughts of disappointment and broken trust, and let Him bring you His love. Our experiences are not perfect and often not beautiful, but just like the sunrise is perfect every morning so God’s love remains perfect and beautiful every day. If we let each morning bring us His Word instead of our disappointed words we may find our perspective on the day is changed.

What kind of perspective is He offering us? A perspective of trust based on who He is, unfailing and loving, no worry, no doubt. Like Peter, when He got out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water, we can keep our eyes on Jesus and not on the disturbing waves around us. That focus will change how we walk through the day, in trust and faith. “Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” The walk of trust has more confidence than questions, promise than doubts. Perhaps you think this sounds too much like motivational talk without real substance. If you think your situation is more challenging that the writer of this verse take a look at the rest of the Psalm, the verses before verse 8. “Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry…come to my relief…The enemy pursues me…my spirit grows faint…my heart within me is dismayed…Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails.” (Read the whole chapter here. Psalm 143 NIV.) Verse 8 comes on the heals of discouraging thoughts. Then the Psalmist turns his focus to the One who gives him hope. 

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”