Spring 2024 has come upon us in Broken Arrow, OK

Friday, May 11, 2012

It's a Beautiful Morning!


“Oh what a beautiful morning,
 Oh what a beautiful day,
 I’ve got a wonderful feeling,
 Everything’s going my way.”  *

Is that the tune that you were singing when you arose this morning?  Do you find yourself rejoicing at the prospects of a bright and wonderful day?  Well, according to God’s word in Ephesians 1:22, that’s exactly what we should be doing!  It says that “God has put everything under the control of Christ.  He has made Christ the head of everything for the good of the church.”  (God’s Word ©)  John Gill in his Exposition of the Entire Bible further defines the phrase “for the good of the church” as for the “infinite benefit” or “advantage” of the church.

It was that word “advantage” that really caught my attention as soon as I sat down at my desk this morning.  It was like I didn’t have the time to even think about the direction of my morning study time, I was drawn immediately to that thought!  Webster’s dictionary defines “attention” as “any state, condition, or circumstance, favorable to success, prosperity, interest or reputation.”  That kind of says it all doesn’t it?  When you infuse that definition into Paul’s words written in Ephesians 1:22, you can’t help but see the outcome of your day in a beautiful way!

Yesterday my wife and I went to the little local nursery near our home and purchased the makings of our summer vegetable garden.  I then spent the next couple of hours planting the various tomato and zucchini plants into fresh new garden soil, trimmed and cleaned all the winter yuk and dead growth from of our outdoor potted plants and then attacked the outrageous growth that had overtaken the 2 original roses that were in the patio when we moved in.  Later on, after cleaning up the debris and brushing all the dirt (what is it with dogs and new garden soil…), leaves, flower pedals, and spider webs off the dog’s thick coat, we contentedly retired into the house and I began to fix dinner.

It had been a good day, and working in the garden enriched the experience like a luscious layer of chocolate icing does to a batch of warm brownies just out of the oven.  I was not too sure that my wife shared my same level of enthusiasm, though!  It had been a pretty active day for her as we had also taken the dog on a long walk previous to our trip to the nursery and our adventures in the back patio.  When we came back into the house she immediately plopped herself on the couch and sat there with a sort of dazed look on her face.  Well, I wasn’t about to let the devil steal her joy so I immediately began to make up and sing silly songs to her as I scurried around the kitchen with pots and pans flying, the dog under my feet hoping for a morsel to drop to the floor, and the microwave buzzing as I defrosted some lasagna. 

What I didn't remember was that all the windows in the house were wide open and the whole neighborhood was probably listening to my outlandish singing!  When the realization finally did hit me I broke into laughter, whispered to my wife what was happening and then exclaimed aloud “Well, who cares… they probably need to hear it too,” and went back to my song and dance!  I was full of the joy of the Lord and just figured that all my neighbors (remember we live in a set of cluster homes that are in very close proximity to each other…) needed to know and share it with me!

As Christians, you and I have an advantage!  We have the advantage of Christ’s total and complete victory over sin, sickness, lack, fear, depression and anxiety.  That’s the truth that should give us the incentive to rise up from our beds and sing of the advantage over the events of each day – whether they look promising or not!  So have a beautiful morning, and have a beautiful day.  Bask in that wonderful feeling that everything is going your way, for:

“All the sounds of the earth are like music,
 All the sounds of the earth are like music,
 The breeze is so busy it don’t miss a tree,
 And an ol’ Weepin’ Willer is laughin’ at me.”

Have a great weekend.  Stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?” 


*     “Oh What A Beautiful Mornin’”
  Music by Richard Rodgers, lyric by Oscar Hammerstein II
 Copyright 1943 by Williamson Music

2 comments:

  1. Awesome Jim...I was raised listening to my Mom singing. She would sing at any opportunity no matter who was listening. I wish I could be more like her, (and you!) Lori

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  2. Thanks for the wonderful comment! and that's exactly where I got my desires to sing a lot... from my Mom's singing around the house. Then when my wife and I were first married we had an older neighbor next door who would sing Ethel Merman style while she did her dishes in her kitchen right next to our bedroom window! Go ahead and sing - Throw abandonment to the wind!!! Remember the Word says to make a joyful noise!!!

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