But let me run loose and free,
celebrating God’s great work,
Every bone in my body laughing, singing, “God,
there’s no one like you.
You put the down-and-out on their feet
and protect the unprotected from bullies!” – Psalm 35:9-10

Today Wake Forest is dark, cloudy, cool, dreary, and soaked with rain. And I love it.

I’m not a fan of rain and dreary days so much as I’m a fan of life. That’s why the scripture I quoted this morning rings so true – even on a messy day like today. Maybe especially on a messy day like today.

With absolutely zero construction workers scheduled to show up today I’m free to concentrate on some serious writing. And days like this always seem to call for hot drinks, study, contemplation, and books.

SCRIPTURE: I’m fascinated at the Bible’s consistent inspiration. I use a lot of resources as a writer, and I don’t necessarily plan to use scripture as my jumping off place every single day. But, somehow, God’s word always speaks so directly into my life that I am compelled to respond.

This morning’s The Upper Room meditation directed me to Psalm 35:28 – My tongue will talk all about your righteousness; it will talk about your praise all day long – but I foraged a little deeper, and ended up reading the entire Psalm; it was as if God reached out and touched me with verses nine and ten.

A PRINCIPLE WE CAN TRUST: There is, I believe, a positive cycle that is set in motion when we become more deliberate about the way we invite God into the details of our lives. Because I routinely include God in the way I launch my day, God meets me more and more consistently in all that I do. Then, as the Creator’s presence becomes more recognizable, I become more inclined to turn to God as a matter of course.

So, here is the principle at play:

1. I routinely include God in the way I launch my day, so – in consequence – God meets me more and more consistently in all that I do.
2. As the Creator’s presence becomes more recognizable, I become more inclined to turn to God as a matter of course.

All I know is this. God is real and God speaks to me through the words of scripture in increasingly powerful ways. And, like Peter and John in Acts 4:20, “[I] cannot keep from speaking about what [I] have seen and heard.”

It’s another rainy day. Gotta love it!

In love, and because of love – DEREK