In the morning
“Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.”Psalm 143:8
Reflection
David wrote this psalm in a time of distress: he was pursued, discouraged, with an exhausted soul. And yet his first request is not a solution, but a hearing: "Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning." Before any news, any task, any problem, he wants to hear God's kindness first. Think of our mornings: often, the first voice we hear is that of the alarm, the phone, the notifications, the worries that wake up with us. David asks that the first voice be that of God's love.
He adds the reason: "for in thee do I trust". Before the day begins, before knowing what will happen, there is a decision of trust. Morning is the moment when the direction is set. The first minutes tend to set the tone for the rest of the day: if we begin running and reacting, we spend the day that way; if we begin listening and trusting, we bring something different to the hours that follow. It does not take long. Five minutes of attention with God already change the direction of the journey.
The second request is: "cause me to know the way wherein I should walk". Note the order: first the kindness, then the direction. When we know we are loved, we can receive guidance without fear, because God's direction comes from the same kindness we heard first. And it is a request for today: the concrete way, the decisions, the priorities, the conversations. God's direction does not come once for a whole lifetime; it comes step by step, and so we ask every day.
And the verse ends with a surrender: "for I lift up my soul unto thee". To lift up the soul is to offer oneself, entirely, like someone lifting hands. Tomorrow morning, before picking up your phone, pray these four short sentences: "Let me hear Your lovingkindness. I trust in You. Show me the way for today. To You I lift up my soul." If your mornings are rushed, do it in the shower, on the bus, in the coffee line. Beginning the day with God is beginning it the right way.
Prayer
Lord, in the morning let me hear Your lovingkindness, for in You I trust. Show me the way I should walk today and help me make each decision with wisdom. To You I lift up my soul. May Yours be the first voice I hear each morning. Amen.
Put it into practice
Tomorrow, before picking up your phone, pray this four-sentence prayer: hear God's kindness, trust, ask for the way for the day and lift up your soul. Repeat for a week.
To reflect on
What is the first voice you usually hear every morning, and how could you give God that first place?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).