Lord, let Your word be always in my heart.

Let my desire always be that your word will be firmly fixed within me, to guide my thoughts, words, and deeds. That all I say and do will be pleasing to You.

It is written, that by Your word, I am made righteous. Thank You for Your assurance, that as I walk in Your word, my steps will not slip. Keep me near to You O Lord, guard my comings and goings.

Lord, let Your word guide all my steps.

“Songs in the Morning” Sandra Bivens Smith. Copyright ©️ 2023

Lord, help me to love justice the way You do.

We know that man’s ways are not Your ways; he does not see justice as You see it. At best man’s justice is flawed, at its worst, it is evil.

Teach me to have a discerning mind. Give me understanding to know and to do what is pleasing in Your sight. Teach me by Your word what justice is, and what it is not.

Lord, lead me this day in the way I should go.

“Songs in the Morning” Sandra Bivens Smith. Copyright ©️ 2023

Jesus is coming to earth again,
What if it were today?
Coming in power and love to reign,
What if it were today?
Coming to claim His chosen Bride,
All the redeemed and purified,
Over His whole earth scattered wide,
What if it were today?
(Refrain)

Satan’s dominion will then be o’er,
O that it were today!
Sorrow and sighing shall be no more,
O that it were today!
Then shall the dead in Christ arise,
Caught up to meet Him in the skies;
When shall these glories meet our eyes?
What if it were today?
(Refrain)

Faithful and true would He find us here
If He should come today?
Watching in gladness and not in fear,
If He should come today?
Signs of His coming multiply,
Morning light breaks in eastern sky,
Watch, for the time is drawing nigh,
What if it were today?
(Refrain)

Refrain:
Glory, glory! Joy to my heart ’twill bring,
Glory, glory! When we shall crown Him King;
Glory, glory! Haste to prepare the way;
Glory, glory! Jesus will come some day.

Lelia Naylor Morris (April 15, 1862 – July 23, 1929) was an American Methodist hymnwriter. Some sources give her first name as Leila, but her obituary, grave marker, and other sources give her name as Lelia. She is sometimes known as Mrs. Charles H. Morris, as (Mrs.) C. H. Morris, or as (Mrs.) C. H. M., having adopted her husband’s forenames upon marriage after the custom of the time.

Morris was born in Pennsville, Ohio. In the 1890s she began to write hymns and gospel songs; it has been said that she wrote more than 1,000 songs and tunes, and that she did so while doing her housework. In 1913, her eyesight began to fail; her son thereupon constructed for her a blackboard 28 feet (8.5 m) long with oversized staff lines, so that she could continue to compose.

How is this desire of the Lord to be accomplished? It is to be done by the work of our faithful God, who promises to do such. “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” What is the Lord’s means in advancing this process? It is His word. Jesus revealed this in His prayer for us as He approached the cross. “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John17:17).

Our Lord wants to unleash in our lives the power of His word, changing the way we think and act. He wants to use His word to set our lives apart for Himself. The Apostle Paul wrote of this powerful spiritual process in referring to Jesus’ intentions for His church: “that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:26).

Will we humbly and dependently cooperate with our Lord in this desire of His heart for us?

Excerpt from “Day by Day Grace” devotional by Bob Hoekstra

Lord, it sounds so simple.

Don’t do what is evil, just do what is good. It is all You ask of Your children. And yet, time and again, in so many areas, in so many ways, we do the opposite; we choose to do that which is evil in Your sight.

Forgive me Lord for the choices I make, my acts of disobedience, the sins I commit. Forgive me for the sorrow my sin causes You and for the hurt I cause to to others. Lord, do not let me fall into temptation, deliver me from evil.

This is my hope and assurance: Though I sin, because of Your sacrificial love, I can come boldly before Your throne and stand forgiven. You in me, me in You; forever will it be.

Thank You Jesus that even though I fail, Your promises will not fail.

“Songs in the Morning” Sandra Bivens Smith. Copyright ©️ 2023

Lord, I am blessed beyond any measure my heart can conceive.

In all the years that I have lived, and they are quite many, You have been near to me, keeping watch over me. You have protected me and provided for me. Every day of every year You have shown me Your unmerited favor. Your love has never failed.

Lord, as I think of those years, of all the things they have seen and done, I am filled with many feelings: sorrow for all the times I have offended You. Sadness for all that has been lost. There is some regret for the roads not traveled and, for the ones that were which led to nothing good.

Lord, help me to keep my remembrances in their right perspective. Help me to remember forward, not backward. When my mind wants to dwell on where You brought me from, help me to focus on where You have brought me to, so that I will see how through it all, both the good and not so good, You were working in my life.

Jesus, I am so glad that You didn’t give up on me. You came to me. You showed me a better way. You brought joy into my life. You saved me.

Lord, thank You for the joy of my salvation.

“Songs in the Morning” Sandra Bivens Smith. Copyright ©️ 2023

Lord, thank You for establishing my steps.

I would like to think that I will walk every day in a way that is pleasing to You. I would like to think that I have reached that point in my journey where every step is sure; but I haven’t. Because of my own stubborn will, there are times that I stray from the path You have prepared for me. I choose to go another way. I get on a path that is full of ruts and rocks, and I stumble.

Thank You Lord that You have promised that You will never take Your eye off me. When I wander from the way, You will point me back in the right direction. When I stumble, You will grab my hand and keep me from falling headlong into disaster. When I fall, You will pick me up, bind my wounds and show me the way I must go.

Thank You Jesus for walking with me.

“Songs in the Morning” Sandra Bivens Smith. Copyright ©️ 2023

Lord, these are some evil times.

This we know from Your word: there is nothing new under the sun. What has been will be, what has been before will be again. But Lord, the evil we are surrounded by now, I have not witnessed in my lifetime.

Each day seems darker, the lines of right and wrong are not just blurred, they are quickly being erased all together and the results are vile. How low must the depravity of man sink before You say “enough”? We look around us and we can’t help but wonder, “how long”?

Then, we remember Your word. Your word that gives us assurance and promises of a hope and a future.

We have Your assurance that You know all things; nothing that happens is outside Your sight and Your control. We have Your assurance that, even though we are surrounded by evil, Your chosen will not be put to shame. We have Your assurance that while we wait for our forever home, You will be with us and keep us. You will stand guard and allow no evil to harm those who are called by Your name.

We have Your promise of abundance. Abundant mercy to carry us through our trials. Abundant grace to comfort us. Abundant peace to chase away our fears. Abundant power that makes it possible for us to stand firm in the face of our enemies. Abundant love that binds all things together.

Jesus, thank You for shining light in this darkness.

“Songs in the Morning” Sandra Bivens Smith. Copyright ©️ 2023

Lord, thank You that You are my advocate.

You fight for me, You protect me from all my enemies. If You were not for me, my enemies would consume me. But I am not consumed because You are on my side. Every chain that tries to bind me, You shatter. You uphold me with Your right hand which is glorious in power and shatters the enemy[1].

Thank You Lord that You are on my side.

“Songs in the Morning” Sandra Bivens Smith. Copyright ©️ 2023

[1] Exodus 15:6

He leadeth me! O blessed tho’t!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me!
(Refrain)

Sometimes ‘mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me!
(Refrain)

Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine,
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis Thy hand that leadeth me!
(Refrain)

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God thro’ Jordan leadeth me!
(Refrain)

Refrain:
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

“He Leadeth Me ” is a Christian hymn written by Joseph H. Gilmore in 1880 with music composed by William Bradbury. Gilmore was a pastor in New Hampshire and wanted to create a hymn for his congregation. He was inspired by the scripture of Psalm 23 and created this renowned, popular hymn.

In 1862, as a 28-year-old student who was about to become a pastor, Joseph Henry Gilmore was invited to preach at the historic First Baptist Church of Philadelphia. “I set out to give the people an exposition of the Twenty-third Psalm. I had given this exposition on three or four other occasions, but this time I did not get beyond the words ‘He leadeth me.’ So greatly impressed was I with the blessedness of divine guidance that I made this my theme.” He later felt that the dark days of the Civil War may have subconsciously led him to focus on God’s leadership.