Tag: God first

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First Things First

Daily Reading

2Kings 18-19

Daily Thought

God called his people to gather in his Temple for worship. The Temple was due for repair and “in the first year of Hezekiah’s reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. He said to them, ‘Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the Lord.’ They began to consecrate on the first day of the first month” (2Chronicles 29:3, 5, 17). 

Genesis 4:4, “Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering.” Exodus 23:19, “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.” Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Romans 1:8, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 2Corinthians 8:5, “They gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Revelation 2:4-5, “You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.

First Things First. Hezekiah got it right. 

“He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered.” ~2Kings 18:5-7

Daily Prayer

My Lord and My God, I worship You and love You with all that I am. Which makes sense, since all that I am was created by You. You had an idea for me before I was born, and You formed me and watched me grow. I grow best, Father, when I remember from Whom I came and to Whom I am going.

You are the First and, also, the Last. The Beginning and the End, Alpha and Omega, A and Z. You are before all things, and in You all things hold together. There is no life without You. Why would I even think of living my life without You. You are my God. May I wake each morning and think first of You, beginning each day with anticipation. You are God, One and only, first in all things, first in my heart. 

Amen

Daily Question

What can you do in your home to make sure God is always first in everything?

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God First

Daily Reading

Haggai 1-2

Daily Thought

The people of Judah had returned from exile in Babylon, commissioned by the Persian king Cyrus to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and its Temple. They half completed the project before they became half-hearted and the work stopped. For almost two decades the work had been ignored and the Temple remained in ruins when Haggai stood before the people and berated them, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4). It was not that Judah did not have the means to finish the Temple because they had the means to finish their homes. It was a choice, and it was me first, which is always what we choose when it is not God.

The irony is “me first” serves me least. “Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes” (Haggai 1:5-6). God saves the best for last, and those who put him first will feast at his table. This time, the people listened to their God and obeyed, “and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God” (Haggai 1:14).

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” ~Matthew 6:33

Daily Prayer

My God, I love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. My life is committed fully to You. May the life I live reflect my devotion to You. Where I work, may I serve You by serving others. In my home, may I build my house on the solid foundation of Your Word. In my neighborhood, may I love my neighbor as myself.

May the things I do be for You first and bring You praise and glory.

Amen

Daily Question

Who do you think of first, yourself or God?

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God First

Daily Reading

Haggai 1-2

Daily Thought

Judah had returned from exile in Babylon, commissioned by the Persian king Cyrus to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and its Temple. They half completed the project before they became half-hearted and the work stopped. For almost two decades the work had been ignored and the Temple remained in ruins when Haggai stood before the people and berated, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4). It was not that Judah did not have the means to finish the Temple, because they had the means to finish their homes. It was a choice, and it was me first, which is always what we choose when it is not God.

The irony is “me first” serves me least. “Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes” (Haggai 1:5-6). God saves the best for last, and those who put him first feast at his table. This time, the people listened to their God and obeyed, “and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God” (Haggai 1:14).

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” ~Matthew 6:33

Daily Prayer

My God, I love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. My life is committed fully to You. May the life I live reflect my devotion to You. Where I work, may I serve You by serving others. In my home, may I build my house on the solid foundation of Your Word. In my neighborhood, may I love my neighbor as myself.

May the things I do be for You first and bring You praise and glory.

Amen

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God First

Daily Reading

Genesis 41-42

Daily Thought

Seventeen-year-old Joseph had two dreams of his future. Real dreams, the kind that show up when you are asleep. Sheaves of wheat in one, the sun, moon, and stars in the other, and they all bowed down to Joseph. Those dreams spoke of great promise someday, but so far, they had been nothing but trouble. Joseph, the “dreamer” his brothers called him, had been disowned by his family, enslaved in Egypt, and forgotten in prison.  

Joseph, now 30, is sitting in a dark prison cell, when he is called before the Pharaoh. “I have had a dream,” said Pharaoh, “and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it” (Genesis 41:15). 

If you are Joseph, how do you feel about that? You once had dreams. God showed you a great future, but nothing so far has come of it. Joseph could say, “Me first, God. What about the answers to my dreams?” But he didn’t. Instead, Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires” (Genesis 41:16). Joseph said, “God first,” and told Pharaoh the meaning of his dreams.

That is when Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you” (Genesis 41:39-40). And they all bowed down to Joseph, the dreamer. The dreams came true.

Joseph’s story had a happy ending, but Joseph didn’t know that when Pharaoh asked for his help. What Joseph did know was the first thing to do is put God first.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, You called me and saved me in order to make me like Your Son, my Lord Jesus Christ. Change me, day by day, by the work of Your Holy Spirit, so that I may grow more like Jesus in all that I think and say and do.

Help me to remain faithful to You and Your calling upon my life.  Strengthen and grow my trust in You, as the trials and experiences of life shape my faith.  You know best, God.  Help me remember that.  It’s amazing how much different, how much better, how good my life is, when I put You first.

Amen