Good morning,

Psalm 5:3 says, "In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]."  An attitude of waiting before the Lord each morning will make a difference in the path ahead. 

What are the secret petitions, prayers and thougths of your heart? "Think of the last thing you prayed about---were you devoted to your desire or to God?" (Oswald Chambers). When I read today's devotion in Utmost for His Highest, I had to pause and think about this. Most of the morning I thought what my answer would be. Trying to remember, because I do spend lots of time talking to God, I finally concluded that my answer was, my devotion was for my desire, in that case. 

At first I felt shame. I confessed and asked the Lord to make me more aware of my words. That my highest devotion would be to the Father and not for my own spending on self. The scripture I refer to often is Psalm 37:4..."Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart."

This also goes back to verse one...fret not and verse three...trust in the lord. Then, also I may delight in the Lord! That is pure delight. No matter what His will is, I must follow. Then in verse five..."Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass." Here is where I want to hang out today.

The secret thoughts of my heart, I must bring to Him. Not so I can get the desires of my heart, but to find His desires for me. Because I can't see the road for tomorrow, I must depend on His loving-kindness. His mercies that are new this morning. I must praise His name because He is in control. 

Yesterday, I mentioned the garden. Not only a place for beauty but a place where weeds can corrupt the plants living there. It wasn't until we moved to Montana did I realize that weed I was frantically trying to pull and take control of was a medicinal plant. Meant for healing. Now I keep a patch of it growing. The 'weed' isn't pretty so I thought it must not be useful! The same goes for anything painful or uncomfortable to me. God has a plan through it all. He uses it to make me more like His Son.

My point is, there are times when we had better go to the Master Gardener to understand what is beneficial and what is not. I sure don't want a harvest of bitterness, unforgiveness and selfishness. Do the secret petitions of my heart align with the Word of God? Are they a waste of breath? Or are they beneficial to the purposes of God? 

This is just what is stirring in my mind today. Where, who am I devoted to? To my desires, right or wrong...or am I wholly devoted to God? I am thankful that I am saved, are you? I am thankful that also found in Psalm 37 is a promise...verses 23-24, "The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and busies Himself with his every step]. Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him." Can you say, "Praise the Lord?"

Please consider what is secretly growing in the garden of your life. Your plot may be tiny or very big. In any case, take time to look up to the Father for guidance and allow the Holy Spirit to til up the hard soils of winter. It doesn't feel good, but it must be done. Nothing He does is to harm you. It is for His glory and your good. We gather together in His name, trusting and delighting in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Abundance is...good soil