This morning, I stepped out onto the balcony of our cruise ship just as the sun began to rise over the water. The ship was quiet, the waves gentle, but my mind was already running. We head home today, and all the things waiting for me seemed to crowd the stillness before I could even take a full breath.
Thanksgiving is next week.
The Gift begins in just a few days.
Sunday School lessons need finishing.
There are meals to plan, laundry waiting, businesses to check on, messages to reply to… and somewhere in the middle of all that, a daughter I cannot wait to see.
It’s funny how worry and responsibility slip into the room long before the day officially begins.
And to top it off, I don’t have any internet on this ship.
No Bible app.
No commentaries.
No study notes.
Just my Bible — pages that crinkle a little in the humidity, ink I’ve underlined over the years, and nothing else to lean on but the Word itself. Almost like God gently pulled everything away so I could hear Him without filters.
So I did what I used to do long before apps and commentaries.
I opened to the Psalms.
My eyes fell on Psalm 5, and the heading stopped me:
A Prayer for Guidance.
With everything swirling inside me, that’s exactly what I needed — guidance. Not more tasks, not more noise, not more “shoulds,” but a calm voice to quiet the chaos.
And right there on that balcony, the Lord whispered something deep and steady into my spirit:
“Let Me be your first voice.”
As I read David’s words, I realized how much I’ve allowed the demands of life to set the tone for my mornings. David, on the other hand, brought every thought, every ache, and every unspoken fear straight to the Lord before he faced anyone else. He talked to God first — not because everything was peaceful, but because he needed the Lord to steady him before he met the day.
There’s something sacred about those early moments when your soul hasn’t been pulled in a dozen directions yet. David knew the power of that space. He said, “In the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.” He wasn’t looking around to see what was waiting on him. He wasn’t checking his circumstances first. He wasn’t answering voices that hadn’t even spoken yet. He looked up.
The more I sat with Psalm 5, the more I realized it wasn’t just a prayer — it was a pattern. A reminder that the first voice we respond to will shape the whole day.
If the first voice we hear is worry, we walk out heavy.
If the first voice we hear is expectation, we walk out rushed.
If the first voice we hear is comparison or pressure, we walk out feeling behind.
But if the first voice we hear is His…
everything else falls into its proper place.
David didn’t enter God’s presence because he was strong. He entered because God was merciful. That’s a truth that settles deep: we don’t meet with God because we’ve done everything right — we meet with Him because He welcomes us. Even when we’re tired. Even when we’re scattered. Even when we’re overwhelmed.
And as David continued praying, he asked the Lord for something every one of us needs: “Lead me… make Thy way straight before my face.” That one line tells the whole truth — life is too crooked to walk without God’s direction. We don’t just need answers; we need clarity. We don’t just need a path; we need the right one. And we don’t just need to move forward; we need to walk rightly.
The beauty of Psalm 5 is that it ends with such assurance. David started the morning with burdens, but he closed it with confidence. He remembered that God surrounds His children with favor, covers them with protection, and fills their hearts with joy when they trust Him. He walked into his day shielded — not by his strength, but by God’s goodness.
And that’s the invitation Psalm 5 still offers us.
Begin your day with God’s voice.
Let His character settle your heart.
Let His mercy draw you near.
Let His guidance untangle what feels confusing.
Let His favor wrap around you like a shield.
That balcony moment became a quiet reminder that before I answer to anything or anyone else — before my to-do list, my responsibilities, my worries, or even my own thoughts — I need to hear from Him.
The day goes differently when God becomes the first voice, not the last.
“Let Me be your first voice.”
I think that’s what He’s whispering to all of us.