As We Begin the Day

 

Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

—Psalm 5:2-3

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

—Mark 1:35

I have written a blog about this general subject before. But I believe that certain subjects bear visiting again from time to time.

Bishop Ralph Spaulding Cushman (1879-1960) wrote over 25 books on evangelism, stewardship, and prayer. He faithfully served seven congregations until becoming a denominational executive for the latter part of his earthly ministry. One of his most famous poems appears immediately below: ¹

I met God in the morning
when the day was at its best,
And His Presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.

All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O’er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them,
Brought to me a peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings,
With the presence left behind.

So, I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!

There’s something very special about setting aside time at the beginning of each new day to meet with God. We “listen” to Him by reading His written Word—the Bible. We talk with Him in prayer. This time together at the beginning of the day becomes an important and very precious few moments.

In the Lord’s Prayer we begin by acknowledging that God is our Father. He has chosen to adopt us into His Eternal Kingdom. As beleivers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are no longer mere creatures that He has created, but we have become children. As children, chosen by God before the foundation of the earth to belong to Him, we have the rights and privileges of children. We come into God’s presence as His children and we rightly may call Him “Father.” Not only do we call Him “Father,” but we acknowledge that He is. He is not someone who once was. Rather, He currently exists in all His power and glory. And, He waits to welcome us.

We really don’t understand this. We don’t get it. The God of the Universe, the One who spoke a word and all creation came into being, has chosen us as His children. And, He waits to welcome us to come and sit with Him and talk with Him.

Prayer is a fundamental, cohesive, and powerful component of our relationship with God. He is not only willing to have us talk with Him, He welcomes it. He expects it. He longs for it. He waits for it. He waits for us. He wants us to come and sit with Him a while and talk with Him. We have the authority of no one less than the Son of God, Himself, telling us to come into the Father’s Presence and sit a while.

I encourage each one of us to seek God each day. As Bishop Cushman suggests, meeting God first thing in the morning will set us on the right path for the day that stretches ahead.

I would also encourage each of us to meet with God at the end of each day. Talk to Him about what’s happened during the hours that stretched between our time with Him in the morning and these moments as the day comes to a close. He cares about us. He wants to know what we’re feeling, hoping, wishing, and dreaming. He wants to know the things that trouble us and the things that bring us joy.

So, start now. Don’t put it off. Plan now to meet with God as a new day dawns. We will be very glad we did.

 

______________________

1 Cushman, Ralph Spaulding. Practicing the Presence: A Quest for God. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1936. This book is now believed to be in the Public Domain. Though this citation is now noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of someone claiming Copyright protection of this material, please note that, in each case, whenever a citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such a citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Attributing Worth

 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

—Psalm 28:7

One of our greatest joys, as followers of Jesus, is the daily opportunity we have to thank God for His divine Presence in our lives through the in-dwelling Holy Spirit. In fact, worshipping God—that is, attributing worth to God for who He is—should fill our hearts and minds with enormous peace. Nothing can make our world explode with light more rapidly than taking time to acknowledge the attributes that God has revealed to us about Himself in His precious written Word.

The poet Edward Estlin “E. E.” Cummings led a very controversial life. Sadly, especially in the cultural climate of our day, many of his poems would spark a riotous mob to burn down buildings. However, in the midst of a life that would make many shudder, he did write some amazing poems, including the one reproduced below.

i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing—human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

In this related video, renowned composer Eric Whitacre, conducts the Netherlands choral group “VU Kamerkoor” in singing his composition based on the above poem. Please watch this video.

 

 

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Two Questions

 

Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

—Luke 9:10-11

Question No. 1:

What kind of church do you attend? I’m not talking about the architecture, or the denomination, or the version of the Bible in the pew rack, or the hymnbook the congregation uses, or the size of the projection screens. I’m asking you what central purpose does your church espouse? What kind of church do you attend?

Some churches seem to have developed the intentional flavor of a well-meaning social club. Lots of like-minded people gathering together from time to time in order to catch up on the latest gossip. Along the way they may sing some songs or hymns, read some Scripture—or maybe some poetry from another source—and listen to a (hopefully) quick few words from the “main man” or “main woman.”

Other churches have adopted a pattern set by the Lord Jesus Christ in the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post. Because healing drew people’s attention to the benefit of a relationship with the Savior, they see their church as a place for healing. Here’s how one church states this goal:

Our Church—A Place for Healing Among the distinctives that will, over time, come to define our church, inform our missional approach to the ministry of the church, and help us reach out to our community, we want our church to become a place for healing. As the Holy Spirit leads us, we want to become a place where wounded people can bring the heartaches and disappointments of their daily lives and find healing within a community of believers through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. We recognize that every person has some difficulties through which he or she must pass in this life. Many times such people feel they must conceal their struggles. But, hiding our hurts does not allow us to heal. Denying that we have difficulties in our lives only makes it harder to find healing and true God-given peace. If we speak honestly, each one of us at our church knows, first hand, what it is to experience the hurt, pain, and ache deep within our souls when the circumstances of life turn against us. Sometimes these hurts may seem minor, petty, or insignificant. But, we serve a Savior who understands every difficulty and knows that sometimes the smallest bump in the road of life can become an impediment to spiritual growth. If you, or friends you may know, are looking for a safe place where the ordinary and extraordinary troubles of daily life can be dealt with compassionately and with sincere understanding, we invite you to come and join with us. Together, we can support each other and find the healing that only Christ can give us. Together, we can become whole again and move forward with our lives. Together, we can experience the joy of being a part of a loving, caring community of believers.

Whatever the flavor of your church—hopefully more intentionally spiritual than the first one I described above—I believe the church must become a place for healing. I agree with the statement of the second church. I believe a church should become a place for healing. Please let me explain:

A church, any church, must not begin without purpose, nor without mission, nor without a great deal of thought and prayer. After spending time earnestly seeking God’s leading, those who formulate the foundation of a church must make certain the endeavor serves as a means to meet certain well-defined goals.

For example, if I were starting a new church, I would set forth four goals that would meet the needs of displaced people—displaced by society, displaced by their family, displaced by their friends, or even displaced by a former church. These four goals would include the following:

1. To provide a safe place for people to gather for worship who have become displaced, for whatever reason, from the normal group with whom they identify.
   
   
2. To provide a place for healing.
   
   The events that led up to the displacement of so many families and individuals from whatever group with which they normally identify have likely inflicted different kinds of wounds in various individuals. The church leadership must recognize that each person will need a safe place where he or she can learn to recognize the nature of his or her particular hurt, and also learn how to express his or her particular hurt in a healthy way that would allow the Holy Spirit to begin a healing process in each one’s individual life.
   
   
3. To provide a place where the healing process can become actualized by a new pathway of Christian spiritual formation.
   
   The groups from which people have become displaced may not have afforded them the privilege, nor the opportunity, to systematically experience a deliberate process of Christian spiritual formation. If that group from which they have become displaced was another church, the new church leadership may discover a people who were quite ignorant of key truths from God’s written Word and did not even have a solid grasp of the very theology that informed the foundations of their previous church.
   
   Seldom did any sermon they heard in their years at their former church ever require any specific response from the people. Seldom did casual conversations dwell on the things of the Lord. Some individuals who may have developed their own rich personal devotional lives—and who may have come to that former church from other church backgrounds—did seem to possess the kind of heart knowledge that could form the foundation for developing a church that would serve as a proper expression of God’s Kingdom here on earth. But, these people were too few to move the “behemoth” of their former church—especially if it was one with a large church roll and significantly smaller church attendance—forward on behalf of the Kingdom.
   
   In the midst of the pain inflicted by the displacement, perhaps God may have provided this event as an opportunity to gather a remnant who could heal together, learn together, and grow spiritually mature together in a way that would enable them to minister effectively in bringing the Gospel to a very, very needy community.
   
   
4. To provide a safe place for people to exercise their spiritual gifts, and thus preserve a sense of ministry that would promote healing from the horrific treatment they received from their “brothers and sisters” at their previous church.
   
   Such people often have significant skills that God has clearly given them, first and foremost, as spiritual gifts. Each of them has taken those spiritual gifts and explored what talents God may also have given them to enhance the effectiveness of those spiritual gifts. Each of them has then proceeded along a pathway of education and training to hone those spiritual gifts and talents by developing them into crucial skills that will enable them to put their spiritual gifts to use on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.
   
   By providing these folks with an opportunity to continue to use their spiritual gifts, while they make their way through a pathway of healing, the new church can accelerate the healing process and also confirm in them God’s continued hand on their lives and ministry.
   
   

Every person experiences hurts and difficulties in making his or her way along the road of life! No one is immune. The only difference is how individuals process those hurts.

For example, many, many people hide their hurts, pretend they don’t exist, “buck it up,” or in some other way deny the hurts that they have experienced. Others subjugate their hurts into activities to keep them from having to deal honestly and openly with what they are feeling. Others seek secular professional help. Others turn to drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, or some other harmful activity that will hide their pain from themselves. Still others seek some secular group where they can find a mutual caring—at least on the surface—to provide some level of healing. Such groups include all the 12-Step programs, but also include social clubs and other similar organizations.

A few people find a community of genuinely loving believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who have deliberately provided a safe place where people can heal. The pathway to healing is one provided by the Holy Spirit through the proclamation of God’s written Word, the development of rock-solid Christian spiritual formation, and the expression of deep, abiding, God-breathed (agape) love.

A church can choose to embrace these four very specific and “deliberately missional” goals. “Deliberately missional” because, until a hurting people begin to heal, they cannot begin to have an impact in spreading the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to others in need. However, by providing a safe place for hurting people to heal, a church does, in fact, create the very venue for reaching hurting people through the demonstration of God-breathed love at work in the hearts of individual believers and in the heart of the entire congregation.

If the members of your church are not allowed to heal, all throughout the future life of your church the un-healed hurts will pop up to provide barriers to effective ministry. Show me a church that is ineffective and I will show you a people who need genuine healing. We all know at least one such church.

I assert to you that a process of healing is essential for every person. An environment fueled by God’s love is essential for any lasting and effective healing. Only within the church—the body of Christ—can the expression of God’s love provide the safe place that every person needs to heal.

Whether you determine to focus the ministry of your church on the displaced people at local rescue mission or the displaced people who reside in the mansions along the avenues in the affluent part of your community, providing a conscious, continual, deliberate, safe place for healing does, in fact, make a church “missional.”

Question No. 2:

I began by asking you a question: “What kind of church do you attend?” I conclude by asking you another question: “How do others perceive your church?”

To give you something to think about before you answer my second question, I invite you to please view this video. It attempts to illustrate what a Starbucks would look like if it was marketed like most Evangelical churches.

 

 

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

My Fondest Desire

 

You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the Lord, have created it.

—Isaiah 45:8

“As a new normal for the United States begins to take shape, more than anything else, what would you like to see happen?” Interesting question, isn’t it?

How about you? More than anything else, what would you like to see happen, as this new normal takes hold? What’s your greatest desire? What do want most? What do you long to see happen? What springs up from deep within you as something you would really give everything to see happen?

It’s easy for me to answer that question. More than anything, my fondest desire would be to see a great revival sweep across this land: from sea to sea, from the north to the south, from the tip of Maine to the farthest island of Hawaii. I long to see the Holy Spirit move across our land and bring conviction of sin, sincere repentance of sin, an overwhelming commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, and a complete resurgence of newness of life for the Church.

Revival means “a coming to life again.” Having read countless books that recall past great movements of God in our own nation and in other parts of the world, I desire to experience a fresh breath from God blowing across our land. Some writers have likened such a movement of God as a fresh spring rain that brings new life into the seemingly dead ground of winter.

This Gospel song from the late 1800s—“Showers of Blessing”—expresses the longing that I feel today. ¹

There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing
Words written by Daniel W. Whittle in 1883 andMusic written by James MacGranahan

There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.

Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

 

______________________

1 Whittle, Daniel Webster. “Showers of Blessing.” A hymn in the Public Domain. This Hymn is included in various Hymnals that are copyrighted by the publisher of the Hymnal. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of someone claiming Copyright protection of this material, please note that in each case, whenever a citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such a citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Source of Peace

 

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.

—Isaiah 26:3-4

As a small boy, I would often hear my mother hum a very winsome tune as she worked around our home. The melodic line of this song had an ethereal quality that always made me have a sense of well-being. One day I asked her what that tune was. She told me that the tune came from a song based on the Scripture text at the beginning of this blog post.

The original version of this song used the language style of the King James Version of the Bible. The first stanza and the tune were written by Vivian A. Kretz. The second and third stanzas were written by Floyd W. Hawkins. Here is the text of the song: ¹

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on Thee.
When the shadows come and darkness falls,
He giveth inward peace.

O, He is the only perfect resting place,
He giveth perfect peace.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on Thee.

In the shadow of the mighty Rock
I lay me down to sleep;
He who watches over Israel
So faithfully will keep.

O, He is the only perfect resting place,
He giveth perfect peace.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on Thee.

’Tis the promise of the Holy One;
“My peace I give to thee.”
Tho’ the storms of life in fury rage,
Thy Refuge sure is He.

O, He is the only perfect resting place,
He giveth perfect peace.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on Thee.

Today, if your heart is heavy with a weight of care, I urge you to turn to God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will lift the burden of your care and give you His inward peace. If you look for the evidence of His loving care in your life, you will surely find it.

 

______________________

1 Kretz, Vivian A. “Thou Wilt Keep Him In Perfect Peace." Grand Rapids, MI: Singspirqtion, 1934, renewed 1962. The second and third stanzas attributed to Floyd W. Hawkins. Please note that, in each case, whenever a citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such a citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

I'm Sorry!

 

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

—Psalm 51:1-12

When you make a mistake, do you willingly say, “I’m sorry”? Please let me illustrate my question:

I vividly remember an incident from my first grade year at the Sixth Ward Elementary School in my hometown. The teacher, Miss Bradley, had set up six easels with four large glass jars of paint at each easel. The four jars contained, respectively, red, yellow, blue, and green paint. The easels held large sheets of newsprint.

Miss Bradley had placed the easels perpendicular to and against the row of steam radiators along the wide expanse of windows that overlooked South Kendall Avenue. Six at a time, the students took their turns at the easels. I’ve long ago forgotten what assignment Miss Bradley gave us. But, at the end of the day, she noticed that someone, who had worked at the fourth easel from the end, had splattered paint all over the radiator next to that easel.

“Who made this mess?” Miss Bradley demanded in a stern voice. “Come on!” she sputtered with anger. “Who made this mess?”

Sheepishly and trembling from fright, I raised my hand.

“Come over here and clean up this mess!” Miss Bradley ordered.

I walked over to where she held a damp rag. I took the rag from her hand and began to wipe the paint off the radiators. As I did so, I began to cry quietly.

“Why are you crying?” Miss Bradley asked sharply. “First graders don’t cry! I think you should go back to Kindergarten!”

The next thing I knew, Miss Bradley was escorting me down the hall and down the stairs to the basement Kindergarten room.

“This student belongs in Kindergarten,” Miss Bradley told the Kindergarten teacher. “He hasn’t learned yet that first graders don’t cry!”

I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the corner of the Kindergarten room. At the end of the day, Miss Bradley came to collect me. She had already dismissed the other children. As we walked back into the first grade classroom, Miss Bradley ordered, “Sit!”

“Now,” she began, “why were you crying?”

“I didn’t know whether or not I made the mess.” I explained. “I did work at that easel. But, I don’t know whether or not I spilled the paint on the radiator. I don’t remember doing it. I suppose it could have been me.”

“Then, why did you raise your hand?” Miss Bradley asked, a slight softness creeping into her voice.

“I worked at the easel. So, I suppose I could have done it. None of the other children were admitting they did it. I guess I thought if no one else took credit, it must have been me.”

“Well, in the future,” Miss Bradley instructed, “don’t be so quick to admit you’ve done something wrong unless you know for sure.”

I tell you this story, from over 72 years ago, because I’m not so certain that Miss Bradley had it right. I’m not sure we should resist admitting we’ve done something wrong. In fact, I’m quite certain we should rather be very quick to admit whenever we might have made a mistake.

In the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post, the Prophet Nathan has confronted King David with the sin that David had committed with Bathsheba, the wife of David’s faithful warrior, Uriah. This Psalm characterizes David’s response to Nathan’s call for a confession.

We can learn from David. Once he understood the sin he had committed, he obediently asked God to forgive him. In fact, David shows us a pattern that we should follow whenever we become aware of sin in our own lives: confession, repentance, restitution (if possible), and restoration.

Examine your own life. Have you sinned against God or against one of your fellow human beings? If so, ask God to forgive you. And, ask the one you have sinned against to forgive you. You must do so in order to keep your account clear. Do not let pride, or arrogance, or any other human trait keep you from quickly acknowledging your sin through confession. Then, repent of that sin—turn your back on the sin and walk in the other direction. Next, seek to provide restitution for the wrong you have done. Lastly, receive the warm welcome of restoration to fellowship with God and with the one you have harmed.

Be slow to sin and quick to confess. That’s an excellent watchword to follow in your life. Don’t let the “Miss Bradleys” of your pride or arrogance keep you from settling your account with God and with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Waiting

 

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

—Psalm 27:13-14

Do you have something you hope will happen in your life for which you have waited a long, long time? I ask, because most people yearn for an answer to some great need, the realization of some great hope, or the fulfillment of some great dream for which they have waited an extended period of time.

Maybe you have suffered with a long-term health problem. Perhaps you have a son or daughter who seems to have strayed far away from the principles you lovingly taught him or her during the early childhood years. Possibly you have always wanted to gain success or recognition or a promotion for your hard work and faithful service.

Whatever your particular need, hope, or dream, as you look back over the days, weeks, months, or even years, it just seems to you that you’ve waited a long time for something satisfactory to happen. It’s possible that you’ve even fervently prayed every day and asked God to intervene in your behalf. But sometimes, it seems as if He has stopped listening to your entreaties.

If what I’ve described applies in your life, let me offer you a word of encouragement from none other than King David. If you carefully read the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post, you will hear King David’s voice speaking words of encouragement to himself. That’s right! David talks to himself in this Psalm. He has known great blessing in his life. But, David has also known periods of almost unbelievable persecution and despair.

Fortunately, King David—the one known as “A man after God’s own heart”—has learned that the greatest comfort and assurance he can obtain comes directly from the very God he so ardently serves. When David speaks words like these, and he does this quite often throughout the Psalms attributed to him, he reminds himself of the faithfulness and goodness of God. David knows that whatever God may plan to do in his behalf, it will prove very much worth the wait.

So, dear one, I encourage you to follow David’s example and wait for the Lord. I promise you, on the very authority of God’s written Word, that He will not disappoint you.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}