What would you say is your greatest priority in life? For most people it may be their health, family, finding a spouse, their careers, extracurricular activities, etc. But God’s priority looks a lot different than ours. Everything I just mentioned, though very important to all of us in various ways, are all temporal. This is God’s priority, and if adhered to, allows everything I just mentioned, to flow like a well oiled machine.
“Listen, people of Israel! The LORD our God is the only LORD. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NCV
Our main priority is to acknowledge that there is ONE Lord, and to love Him with our whole heart, soul and strength. To live a life totally committed to honoring Him, is to live in freedom and blessings. Put first things first. When we gave our hearts to Jesus, He became our priority. Everything should now flow through and from Him. He’s more than just a Sunday morning service, or another thing we’ve added to our to do list. He’s our life sustainer, He’s our everything and our all in all. That’s what being our Lord is all about.
After He introduced Himself to Israel and to us, He gave a set of commands that if followed, would set us apart from nations and people who do not know our God.
“You, your children, and your grandchildren must respect the LORD your God as long as you live. Obey all His rules and commands I give you so that you will live a long time. Listen, Israel, and carefully obey these laws. Then all will go well for you, and you will become a great nation in a fertile land, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.
Always remember these commands I give you today. Teach them to your children, and talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them down and tie them to your hands as a sign. Tie them on your forehead to remind you, and write them on your doors and gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:2-3, 6-9 NCV
Like Israel before us, we have laid aside His priority and have adopted our own. We love Him when things are going our way, we obey only when it suits us, we haven’t taught His commands to our children, we have introduced compromise as an alternative to His commands. After all the Bible is outdated and old fashioned, it doesn’t fit into our way of life. Until tragedy strikes. Then we remember who we’re meant to be and who He is.
Priorities. We all have them. But are they His? Listen to what Jesus said about what our priorities should look like.
“So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:25-34 NCV
Does our priority mirror His? If it doesn’t, then no wonder we’re stressed out and anxious about every little thing. The key to receiving what we need from Him is found in seeking that which is of eternal value first. Does that mean we ignore or do it at the detriment of other things? Absolutely not! What it does mean is that our desires and priorities flow through Him. This is why Jesus told us not to worry about anything. Why? Abba Father know all we’re in need of. He wants to remove the stress of self reliance. What happens when you know that your spouse or parents are taking care of certain situations? If they can be counted on, you’ll rest. How much more when the Creator of the universe tells us not to worry? Has He ever failed you? I can tell you from personal experience that He’s never once failed to keep His promises to me. Why? I’ve made Him my priority.
He’s my only God, by His grace I do my best to obey His Word. I seek His Kingdom first, and He has added to my life everything I’ve needed. A wise man said, “ if you focus on your priority, you’ll eliminate confusion.” He’s absolutely right. The enemy will not be able to confuse or distract us, when our priority is in order. Things or people should never be our god. We’re actually better people when God is our Lord. We’re less stressed and anxious, we’re more pleasant to be around. We spread peace and joy wherever we go, because we have placed Jehovah in His rightful place. If He’s in control, then we needn’t be. The saying ‘too blessed to be stressed’, applies here.
If life has you running around like a dog chasing it’s tail, then it’s time to reevaluate your priorities. Where is God in the grand scheme of things? When was the last time you actually asked His opinion on a decision you were about to make? When was the last time you put off hanging with friends, or watching your favorite television show to be alone with Him? When was the last time you actually thought about Him as your Lord and love? Life may be good, but it can be better. It may suck right now, but He’s still the greatest thing. Nothing or no one can ever replace Him. Priorities. We all have them. But is He yours?
“If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who trust in My Name. When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”
Psalms 91:9-16 NLT
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
April 26, 2021