Priorities

by

Psalm 5:3 Morning Routine

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up. Psalm 5:3

Mornings are the time when most people get up from their sleep to begin their day. The majority of people have some type of morning routine that they go through in the process of getting up in the morning to prepare for their day. Some people take a longer time to prep themselves physically and psychologically, while others are up and out the door very quickly with very little prep.

David tells God that He will hear his voice in the morning directed to Him and that he will look up to God.

At a minimum the process of getting ready for the day includes getting up and getting dressed. Others will take time to clean themselves up, eat a good breakfast, drink some coffee and get dressed, along with a myriad of other possible things they might do before they hit the day of work or other requirements.

While none, or at least most, of these things are necessarily bad, they are not always what is best. The world, as a whole, will miss out on what is actually best–spending time with God.

While eating a good breakfast and getting dressed is good, taking time to talk with and listen to God is of much greater value. This talking with God is spending time in prayer with God and His word. It is taking one’s eyes off of the things and cares of this temporary, sin filled world and focusing them upon God and eternity. It is finding out what is important to God and what His plans are, rather than what self thinks.

Putting God first in the morning routine sets the day on the right path.

Every day that you get up you have some type of routine that you usually go through to prepare for you day. As you get yourself physically ready for your day, you must take time to get yourself ready spiritually for the day.

While going through your morning routine, take time to spend some time with God, both in prayer and in His word. Allow God to speak into your life and guide you, giving you strength for the day with what He has for you to do.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will put God first in your morning routine; that you will pray each day to God to hear what He has for you; and that you will focus your eyes and life upon God and heaven.

Picture by Aaron Burden under Unsplash

by

Nehemiah 13:11 Priorities

Checklist paper

So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts. Nehemiah 13:11 

Living life gives a person many different choices to make. There are a thousand different things that need to be done on a regular basis. Life calls a person in a thousand different ways every day.

Choosing which thing to do is done by making priorities. Which thing is the most important to do and continuing down the list of priorities. Most people do not have a problem making a choice as to what they want to do first, however, what most people see as the highest priority is not always the highest, but on the lower end.

Nehemiah had went back to Jerusalem and found that many of the priests were neglecting their duties as priest. They had chosen to go back home to their own fields and work their fields, rather than do their duties in God’s house. God’s house was being neglected.

People are very quick to find time to work and earn money or to take some free time to play or watch a game. While working a job and providing an income for the family is important, it is not the most important thing to do. Relaxing while playing or watching a game can be a good thing, but, again, it is not the highest priority in life.

The first and highest priority has to deal with eternal matters, not just a temporary thing. While work and relaxing is good, they are temporary. God’s house is eternal.

There are two parts of God’s house, one’s own life and all believers together. Neither need to be neglected. One must make sure his own life is in line with God’s will. One must also strive to build others up in Christ in order to build God’s house larger.

Each and every day you must stop and take time to spend some time with God. Spend it in prayer, praise, worship, reading His word and listening to Him. This builds you up and allows God to guide you in what to do for the day, what your priorities should be.

Then spend time building others up, starting with family, then those closest to you, then every one else. There is always someone who needs to be built up in Jesus. Don’t neglect God’s house for a temporary fix. Go for the eternal.

I pray today that you will have a hunger to know God more; that you will allow God to guide your priorities in life; that you will never neglect God’s house for the temporary; and that God will use you to build His house larger.

by

Leviticus 26:1 Who Is Your God?

Man on a cliff

Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 26:1

While there are large numbers of people around the world that believe in physical idols, there are also many people who do not believe in them. There still some very advanced nations in this world that believe in idols and will set offerings before them and pray to them, believing that the idols can do something for them.

As a whole, the majority of people in the European nations and America’s do not believe in idol worship, yet, the majority worship idols on a daily basis. Instead of worshipping a statue, many will worship a thing. Instead of bowing down and praying to the idol and calling it a god, they worship an idol in different ways.

More commonly people worship things by spending their time, money, and effort with it, to the expense of everyone and everything else. The list is infinite in what the item can be. Some common ones are: jobs, cars, homes, hobbies, careers, celebrities, and money.

It is seen many times where a person focuses so much on his career and advancement in that field, that he neglects his family, friends, church and God. Making the position or pleasing the boss is all that matters to him, at any cost.

Others may be focused on a hobby–watching or playing sports. They do it to the point of neglect of everything else. It is all that matters to them. It consumes them. The hobby has become their god.

Believers are no exception to worshipping idols. There are believers who are so consumed with ministry, that they neglect time with God, family and friends, things that are important. They can also get consumed with the position and do it out of greed and pride, rather than love and for God.

What a person worships, may also change with time, but it is still putting something before God–an idol.

Take a look at your life. Where do you spend your time, money, efforts, and focus?

What is most important to you in your life?

Think of your top three priorities in life. If the top three is not God, family, and being a witness, then you may have an idol in your life.

I pray today that you will know God as your only God; that you will serve God with all of your life; that God will help you remove all idols in your life; and that God will be your highest priority in this life.

by

Matthew 6:33 First Priority

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Many times Christians will like to quote the next verse after today’s verse: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”

The previous verses also talk about God providing for all of your needs. Jesus used the examples of the birds and the flowers being provided for. He then points out how valuable you are and will be provided for.

One thing that is often overlooked is the requirement for all of this provision: seeking His kingdom and His righteousness.

How often as a human being do Christians seek things for their own good? Most people want a better home; better car; more money for themselves. These things would have nothing to do with building God’s kingdom.

In the church, believers may even ask God for a larger ministry. The problem is that the larger ministry is not so much for reaching more people, but to look better to others in the church.

Your focus should be on being more and more like Jesus everyday. You should be seeking for God to give you the righteousness of Jesus. You should be seeking God to be shown ways to build His kingdom more.

As you go through life, here on earth, it is very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day living. Each day will bring about concerns about how to pay the bills, how to provide enough to keep the electricity on and how to keep the car running, along with the many other little things in life.

Each day you must retrain your focus on what really matters for eternity: your righteousness in Jesus and God’s kingdom. Are you seeking ways to build His eternal kingdom or your temporary kingdom? Are you seeking for your righteousness or the righteousness of Jesus? Where is your priority in this life?

As you put God first in your life, He will provide for every need you have. If you do not put God first, you have a reason to worry…you will fail in the end. Don’t worry, seek God.

I pray today that God will reveal to you His will for your life; that you will seek God all day everyday; that you will seek the righteousness of Jesus in your life; that you will ask God for ways to build His kingdom; and that you will not worry but trust God for all things.