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There is something about praying in the morning. I always like to think perhaps this Psalmist discovered one of the secrets to spiritual life. A life hack! This spiritual work of praying in the morning has many benefits.

In a world that is loud and chaotic and full of heart-wrenching emotion, how will we ever find peace? There’s a laundry list of reasons to worry and issues to grieve and things to be done. How do we NOT walk around with a high blood pressure and deep cynicism about life? All we have to do is come to God, let Him wrap us in His arms, and then we will find peace.

Maybe, today, you need the Lord to place His hand under your chin and lift your head. Can I submit to you that He already knows what you need? He hears you when you speak to Him and He sees you when you just can’t quite find the words. So today, may He be your shield and the “lifter of your head.”

God may be in His Heaven… but all is NOT right with the world! I mean, what are we supposed to do? Sink into depression and despair? Or white-knuckle a naive optimism? The world has not changed since the time of David, and neither has God! Jesus is LORD over everyone and everything. Trust Him as your safe place in a dangerous world!

God is my rescuer, and regardless of that incident, or any other situations and circumstances I face in life, I “take refuge in Him” and know that my value and my worth are wrapped up, not in my circumstances, not in who may or may not like me, but in who I am in Him. It is my Lord and my God who saves and delivers me daily and reminds me of WHOSE I am.

There is a reason Jesus loved to spend time with children. Thinking back over our Disneyland day, through the eyes of Emery, I was reminded to live in the moment, trust Jesus with everything else and just live the adventure of loving everyone around me! Oh, and don’t forget to talk to Jesus throughout my day!

In our daily callings to our family, work, and church, are you expecting great things and attempting great things for the glory of God? This could mean a prayerful hello to that neighbor or a spirit-filled small talk with your coworker. The point is, it is about believing our small acts of faithfulness of reaching out to others will have eternal kingdom growing potential.

As followers of Jesus, our sin doesn’t change our standing with God, but it does change our fellowship with Him. When we walk away from Him, towards the idols of this world, naturally our connection with Him changes. But when we are aware of our temptations, when we name our struggles, and when we seek accountability and change, the Holy Spirit gives us victory over our “kryptonite.”

I have sat with this question for some time: how could the God of both love me so much? The answer could be as simple as: because He is good OR because He is love. Both of those things are true, by the way, but I long to understand more deeply how God loves because I want to give that love to others.

The enemy's greatest fear is that you'll discover who you really are in Christ, what you're really worth, and the amazing plan that God has for your life. Remember… God has given you the ability to choose the internal dialogue you believe and respond to.