This Happens When You Read Scripture Each Morning...

Read Holy Scripture each morning. At the very least, over time, you'll deepen your knowledge and understanding  - and love - of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. In addition to strengthening your Faith, you'll find that some mornings, some verse or verses literally jump out at you. They make so much sense. They guide and inspire. They seem like they were written just for you. Here's an example:

Recently, I woke up ready ready to do battle. I put on my armor knowing this day surely brings the next engagement in our war against the flesh, against sin. That’s the battle “against” and I was going to be ready for it.

But in addition to the battle "against," I know that the battle “for” awaits too. We march together, as the Church Militant, doing battle for Christ, for His Holy Church, not only against her enemies, but for His people whom He loves. We are His people; many others could be His people too, with our attention, our solicitude, our example, our love. 

So the day brings the battle, and we stand ready to fight. First we attend to our prayer, begging the graces and strength sufficient for the day. Then we attend to our reading and study, to toughen mind and heart and soul for the rigors of battle. Then we're off to face the world, armed with Jesus Christ, and only Him, our Lord, our Savior. He leads and we follow wherever He will have us go this day. His Holy Will be done!

All of this sprang from my mind and heart one morning. Then immediately, I read the following passages in Psalm 47 which, as I said, literally jumped out at me:

Clap your hands, all peoples!

Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

For the Lord, the Most High is terrible,

a great king over all the earth.

He subdued peoples under us,

and nations under our feet.

He chose our heritage for us,

the pride of Jacob whom he loves.

God has gone up with a shout,

the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

For God is the king of all the earth;

sing praises with a psalm!

God reigns over the nations;

God sits on his holy throne.

The princes of the peoples gather

as the people of the God of Abraham

For the shields of the earth belong to God;

he is highly exalted?

How many times I've read Psalm 47, and the sound of the words was like a quiet stream. This day the sound was that of a river raging, its icy cold water spraying my face and shaking me from the sleepiness of early morning. And so off to battle I march, a soldier in Christ's army!