The Best Way To Begin and End Every Day

What was the very first thing you did this morning? Did you reach for your phone and scroll away? And what about last night? Was the temptation to binge-watch so intense, you ended up consuming mindless media until your eyes dropped closed?

Especially in times of uncertainty and unrest, it’s no wonder we feel anxious and ill at ease. Rather than turning to the One who cares for our innermost beings and the Book of His promises, we spin in noisy, meaningless circles. Here’s the alternative: Bookends of mindful and purposeful interaction with our Creator and His Word.

“We are silent at the beginning of the day,” wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “because God should have the first word and we are silent before going to sleep because the last word also belongs to God.”2 God gets the first and last word when we interact with Scripture first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. Think this is a bit much? “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God,” Jesus said in Matthew 4:4.

The Holy Spirit works through Scripture to accomplish many things in our lives. First, we come to faith and new life through God’s Word (Romans 10:17; 1 Peter 1:23). It refreshes our souls (Psalm 119:25) and transforms our character, habits, and relationships (John 7:17; Hebrews 4:12).

Here’s a challenge: Resolve to listen. Like the boy Samuel, will we say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10)? Give God the first and the last word for the next two weeks. Make Scripture the first and last thing your eyes see. Here is what He promises about His own words: “The words that come out of my mouth [will] not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them” (Isaiah 55:11 MSG).
 

Reflection

How are you spending the beginning and end of each day?

Application Tip

Try keeping a notepad by your bed and making a quick note of a Bible passage you read each morning and evening for two weeks. Then, note what has changed in your life!

Conversation with God

I desire to take time to be quiet with You and Your Word each day, Lord. Please help me break the habit of mindlessly wasting, not just the beginning and end of each day, but this precious life You have given me.

This is an entry by Bonnie Sala from The Garden of God's Grace. This devotional is available at OMF Lit Bookshops and shop.omflit.com for P275.

Imagine Jesus meeting you in this beautiful garden and welcoming you to sit at His feet and tell Him everything – all the thoughts, worries, fears, doubts, and frustrations swirling in your head.

In this devotional, Darlene Sala, Bonnie Sala, and Luisa Collopy share 52 life lessons on how to deal with loneliness, loss, finances, death, and other challenges. Each devotion invites you to reflect, take a positive course of action, and have a meaningful conversation with God. Take some time off from your busy schedule to visit the garden of God’s grace, where Jesus awaits to give you refreshment and encouragement.