A simple message of encouragement for my Monday.

A simple message of encouragement for my Monday. That's really all I had asked for from God. Sometimes Monday can be hard for me (I guess many of you could "amen" that one). I think it's the combination of a new week, coming down off of a Sunday "high", and, as was the case yesterday, feeling a little overwhelmed by the needs and concerns of my sweet people.

So, I finally got to bed about midnight last night. I went right to sleep. But as I was dozing off, I asked God to use His Word to remind me of why I am here, why I do what I do, and why I don't have permission to stay in bed on a Monday morning. (that alone requires something of divine origin)>

Man, did He ever deliver. It started with a verse-of-the-day that I am e-mailed every morning. Then, before I could finish mulling that one over in my mind, I arrived at the office. I opened my devotional on my desk and was challenged by another voice of encouragement from the Word. I won't go through all of the details but at least seven different times today (so far) I have heard God's voice coming loud and clear from the Word. Don't tell me His word isn't alive. Don't tell me it's out of date or irrelevant to where we are today. I believe God speaks personally to His children about where they are and what they need.

I want to close by sharing one of the seven passages that God brought my way to encourage me. I hope it will do the same for you today. It comes from my reading that I am doing in Psalms this year. Psalm 69:13-14

"But I pray to you, O Lord, in the time of your favor, in your great love, O God, answer me with your salvation. Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters."

Good words for my Monday. Great encouragement from a God who loves me personally and knows my every need long before my heart cries out to Him. Way before. I started reading Psalms a year ago and I landed on this Psalm this morning--God knew where I would be. Makes me wonder if thousands of years ago, he woke David up on a Monday morning with these words of love and hope as well.