Morning Listening

Even before the pandemic, my mornings are filled with couple of listening, listening from God's word and some podcasts. It helps me quiet down from the noise of yesterday and more for the day ahead of me. 

Allow me to share how the Lord have been leading me in my daily listening and I pray that this may also encourage you in your mornings.

For God's word, I find variety helpful. It makes me excited and open to something new. I alternate devotional guide and personal bible study. On devotional guide, I have now the Day By Day The Excellent Wife devotional. From this devo guide I get to read topical bible verse, exhortation and a memory verse. Lately, this memory verse is like a balm to my mind and heart. It helps me to think gospel instead of selfishness or worry. 

  

Another devotional guide I use sometimes is https://www.gty.org/library/devotionals/strength-for-today

You will find here four options to do devotions but my favorite is 'Strength for Today'. This is also thematic in format, say for a week they will discuss about one attribute of God. I like that at the bottom of exhortation, you are asked to process some questions and actually read not just one verse but a whole chapter or more to really meditate on God's word. Go ahead and visit the link. I also like Daily Bible.

For personal study, I would read and study a particular book from the bible, say from the gospel of Mark. I would read here one story and write down my observations and note commands I need to obey or reason to praise God or sins I need to confess.   

Now, let's talk about podcasts. I know there are a lot to listen to online but I'd give you heads up on listening to just anything available. Here's one of the warnings from Paul:

For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 2Cor.11:4

Currently, here are online resource that I trust who are biblically-sound:

1. Reviveourhearts by Nancy Leigh deMoss Wolgemuth

2. Truthforlife by Alistair Begg

3. Ask Ligonier

4. Ask Pastor John

5. Bible Q&A with John MacArthur

6. 5 Minutes in Church History with Stephen Nichols

There you have it, my morning listening shared to you. I know others do this in the morning, I think that is alright but for me I prefer listening in the morning. The most important is we tune in to our Good Shepherd each day and train our ears to listen to His precepts so we will know what steps to take.

Oh before I end, lately I added another listening. This one is practical, I listen to my body by doing exercise. Since I can't do heavy work out, this app FitOn is totally helping me do my stretching and a bit of heart pumping work out. I like that it has so many choices from mostly leg work, middle or upper body. I just use the free work outs, it's up to you if you will subscribe. This I only do at least 3 times a week. 

photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

So, how about you? What is your morning listening?