My Lousy, Rotten, No-good, Miserable Morning

This morning started all wrong. I got up later than usual, my mind filled with weird dreams. I checked my e-mail and fired up the printer, which proceeded to eat the paper. On to get some coffee and a better start to the day. Not so! I opened a plastic package which split and spewed all its contents on the floor. I picked up a newspaper and a nasty, live bug was dangling from it. (Yes, we live in the country.) I thought to myself, “Now what? If the rest of the day is like this . . . .”

Time for prayer, thanking the Lord for a huge, recent blessing. Time for a cup of coffee and some breakfast. Time for the Word.

My day changed around!

This is what I read:

Praise ye the LORD.

Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD,

that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

(Psalm 112:1)

This verse begins with praise. Thankfully, I had already praised the Lord for something. I was feeling a little self-satisfied. Then, the verse talks of blessing. I love blessings! So far, so good. In Psalm 112, this blessing is for the man (or woman!) who fears (respects) the Lord. Wonderful! I definitely love and respect my Lord. It’s for someone who delights greatly . . . . Again, that’s me! I have a joy and a delight . . . .

And here came the surprise:

The blessing is for the person who delights in God’s commandments!

It’s so easy to delight in Who God is: His holiness, His omniscience, His power, His actions, His creation . . . . We could go on and on!

It’s easy to delight in God’s love, mercy, care, His dealings with mankind.

It’s easy to delight in reading His Word.

But, this is more specific. And, it carries a blessing. God will bless the person who delights not a little bit, but greatly, in His commandments. This person’s big joy is in what God tells us to do. He loves the commandments!

I thought of this verse: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (1 John 5:3).

Here are some more, all from Psalm 119, probably the most complete chapter in the Bible about loving the Word of God. Can you feel the psalmist’s delight?

• With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. (verse 10)
• I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. (verse 32)
• Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. (verse 35)
• And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. (verse 47)
• My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes. (verse 48)
• Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. (verse 73)
• Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. (verse 127)
• I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments. (verse 131)

And, these are just a few of the verses in this chapter about delighting in the commandments of God! All through the Bible, we find people who enjoyed God’s instructions. I can guarantee they were blessed.

So was I this morning, meditating on the way God tells us clearly what He wants. He didn’t leave us to grope around in the dark. He even rescued my spirit from my lousy, rotten, no-good, miserable morning . . . that He turned into blessing!

Praise Him!