My Morning Routine

“Oh God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1

I spent my early childhood in the Sonoran desert. It was hot and dry. We owned horses and ran cattle. I vividly remember my family strapping canteens onto our saddles before we rode. Bringing water along for the ride was routine, a much-needed routine.

Surviving the hot dry desert reminds me of trying times in life. The ride of life can be long and hard. Circumstances can leave a person spiritually parched.

In the desert, water quenches the body. Emotionally and spiritually, God quenches the soul. Matthew 5:6 reads, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Jesus said, “…whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

My mornings begin with Jesus. I pray, read my Bible, and ask God to lead the way. He gives water to the soul. He prepares us for the day ahead. Life can be a long hard ride; make sure you ride with a full canteen!

Amanda

“….Early will I seek you….” Psalm 63:1

Spurs

“And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds,” Hebrews 10:24 BSB

As a little girl, I loved riding horses. My horse was an old grullo gelding named Clyde. It took a lot to motivate him. The day my parents gave me my first set of spurs, I was ecstatic. The spurs served their purpose well. Clyde responded to my cues with a lighter feel, and to top it off, I felt like a bonafide cowgirl. I wore my spurs proudly.

Fast forward the clock about thirty years, and the adult me still loves wearing a nice set of spurs. There is something really swag about walking around in boots and spurs, while letting out a little jingle jangle.

The main purpose of spurs is to develop a lighter feel and prompt response from a horse. While not intended for abuse, spurs are a great aid in dealing with resistance. They motivate a horse.

While reading my Bible, I chuckled when I came across Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.” Apparently, God knew His children would need a little spurring from time to time. Similar to a horse needing motivated by a spur, we need motivated when we are resistant and slow to respond to our Master’s cues.

Let’s live in a way that emulates the love of God by being motivated to love and do good to others. Consider this my spur of encouragement to you.

Amanda