Rise and shine, my friends! A brand new day awaits, brimming with promise and potential. Now, before we hurry off to tackle that to-do list, let's pause to tune our instrument, shall we? After all, as Hudson Taylor said, “Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.”

Have you ever arrived at a concert early and been privy to the pre-concert tune-up?  Honestly, it makes my eyes twitch and my head ache.  Each musician is busily tuning his/her instrument, seemingly oblivious to all the other “noise” around them. There are squeaks and scrapes.  In short, it’s a hideous sound.  But as Taylor’s quotes remind us, it’s a necessary one.

Just as musicians tune their instruments each time they play, we need to "tune" our spirit through time with God. Otherwise, we'll squeak and scrape our way through the day, entirely out of tune with His melody! Who wants that kind of awful sound?

So before doing anything else, let's quiet our hearts before the Lord. Even five minutes can make a difference. The Bible says in Psalms 5:3, "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." Through personal Bible study and prayer, we surrender our plans to God's will and seek His guidance.

Turning our attention to God each morning aligns our hearts, minds and spirits with God's perfect pitch. Starting the day tuned into His frequency fills us with strength and purpose. The static of stress and anxiety fade as we attune our ears to the Father.

So let's quiet the cacophony of distractions around us and mute the inner "noise" that tries to throw us off-key. Don't let disharmony set the tone for your whole day! Instead, tune your instrument through heartfelt prayer, praise, and Bible reading.

Ready your heart to harmonise with God's melody of grace. Let Him set the rhythm of your life as you walk in step with the Spirit today. Prayer is the metronome that keeps us on tempo with Jesus, and the Word of God is the pitch pipe that keeps us in tune with God’s perfect will for us. Please don't neglect this sacred tuning time, my friends.

When we offer our concert without first tuning our instrument, the result is a messy performance. But as we begin each day in communication with the Lord, our life becomes a beautiful symphony that glorifies His name.

So come, take up your instrument and let's tune our hearts heavenward! The Conductor is waiting to lead us into a new day filled with meaning and delight. Let's close our eyes, breathe deep, and let His love drown out all other sounds. Our merciful God longs to start our soul's melody anew.