We have a four-legged member of our family - our dog Missy. She's a spunky little black and white Shih Tzu. She's not always spunky. I often get up early and when I hit the kitchen there is a definitely unspunky Missy. I can usually find her sprawled out under this white desk we have in the kitchen. She's awake but that's about all. Her head and her eyes and her ears are drooping and nothing I say or do or offer can coax her out of her hiding place. But as soon as she hears any stirring upstairs where her master is, Missy is suddenly out of her blahs, up, standing expectantly at the kitchen gate and wagging her tail. Now my day begins when the alarm goes off, but not Missy. Her day begins when she sees her master.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Master Launch."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from the personal writings God calls the man after God's own heart, David. Psalm 42:1-2 - "As the deer pants for streams of water so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" Now David has a driving desire, you can tell, to get one on one time with God. It's like a thirst that demands to be quenched. It reminds me of that dog and what motivates her - she lives to be with her master. Her day doesn't start until she's been with her master.
Now we've been wired by our Heavenly Father to feel that same way about our relationship with Him. My day doesn't start until I've been with You, Master. If we really believe that then we've had a lot of days that have effectively never really got started. We never really found time to meet with God did we? Actually, found time isn't how it works - we never really reserved time to be with our Master.
Now, what happens when you get with Him? Well, David says later in this Psalm, "My tears have been my food day and night," and he says, "I pour out my soul." When you meet with God you empty out the real feeling in your soul, not so He can find out about them, He already knows, but so His power and love are turned loose on healing them. And then there's hope for each new day. David says when he seeks the Lord he says (verse 5), "Why are you so downcast, O my soul?...Put your hope in God for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." You see pain gets recycled in to praise. When you meet with your Master the anxiety is replaced with peace as you remember how big He is compared to what you're worrying about. You discover the Lords leading for this new day like a dog finding out where his master is going so he can follow. A master launch of your day takes you to the cross with yesterday's sin to receive the mercies that are new every morning. You get an early in a day spiritual shower and you start clean. It could be that you've had too many days where you've sunk emotionally, relationally, spiritually. You're basically sleep walking through the day or like Missy you're just moping around with nothing to get moving for. You've started your day with some DJ on the radio, or the TV news program, or with a stressful "to do" list in your head - with people other than your master. Instead start with Him, talk to Him, listen to Him first, review verses about Him, fill up on music and praise about Him.
Load up on Jesus in the launching moments of your day and keep a reserved time in your morning schedule to sit down and just be with Jesus letting him show you His perspective on that day with His word. And that time has to be the most non-negotiable part of your schedule. The one time in your day that cannot be canceled. The one time no one else can have. After all even a dog knows that it isn't much of a day without your master. Time with Jesus is what really starts and what really energizes your day!