How Do you Start Your Day? (1 Chronicles 23&24)

1 Chronicles 23:30 They are to be present every morning to offer thanks and to praise the LORD, and likewise in the evening

David was dividing up the rules and duties to the descendants of the house of Levi. David was growing old, and wanted everything and everyone in their right place before he died. The family of Levi, who was one of the sons of Jacob, was set apart to serve in the temple. They were the original priests of their time. Moses and Aaron were descendants of Levi, and so their ancestors were also called to serve in the temple. David added some duties to them, including being present to offer thanks to God in the morning and evening. 

God had brought the Israelites out of Egypt. Many years later, he allowed David to be king and fought every battle with him. David wanted to make sure the people remembered all the good things God had done for them, so he challenged them with praising the Lord. This is something we should ALL do every morning and evening. In the morning, we should be praising God for allowing us to wake to another day. We have another chance to spread his love to others. At the end of the day, we should praise his name for all the blessings we have been given, and pray for another day to spread his love. 

Is the first thing you do in the morning to mindlessly scroll on social media? To see what has happened since you went to sleep? Catch up on the news in your town or area, or the business of someone else across the country? Do you scramble to the kitchen for coffee or tea? Grumble about having to get up and go to work? Aimlessly wonder around trying to figure out what to wear, what to eat, what to do today?

God is right there, waiting on you to realize the blessing he has given you in just waking up. Yet we are more likely to turn away from him to our phones, to our needs, to make "us" first. To the worldly things. That is similar to sitting down at meals and not offering grace for the food he has provided for you. When our eyes open in the morning, the first thing we should do is praise God. He should always be the first thing on our mind. And if not, we need to fix our mind on him.