Tag: SeekFirst

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What’s Important?

In yesterday’s blog we met Hannah who had experienced great sorrow because of the natural circumstances of infertility. Today we will see the sorrow of a man who has everything.

The rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to be saved. Jesus replied that he should sell all that he had and give it to the poor. Now don’t take this as a condemnation of wealth, it’s not. Jesus just knew that the man’s riches meant more to him than a relationship with Christ. Scripture says this man left Jesus and he was filled with sorrow.

“Then Jesus told him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go now and sell your property and give the money away to the poor—you will have riches in Heaven. Then come and follow me!’

22 When the young man heard that he turned away crestfallen, for he was very wealthy.

23-24 Then Jesus remarked to his disciples, ‘Believe me, a rich man will find it very difficult to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Yes, I repeat, a camel could more easily squeeze through the eye of a needle than a rich man get into the kingdom of God!’

25 The disciples were simply amazed to hear this, and said, ‘Then who can possibly be saved?’

26 Jesus looked steadily at them and replied, ‘Humanly speaking it is impossible; but with God anything is possible!’

27 At this Peter exclaimed, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What is that going to be worth to us?’

28-30 ‘Believe me,’ said Jesus, ‘when I tell you that in the next world, when the Son of Man shall sit down on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones and become judges of the twelve tribes of Israel. Every man who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mother or children or land for my sake will receive it all back many times over, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first now will be last then—and the last first!’” Matthew 19:21-30 Phillips

Peter and the other disciples had given up everything to follow Jesus; they had left their businesses to follow Christ, so this comment concerned them. Jesus reassured them that since they had left all to follow Him, they had a proper perspective of their possessions. Their commitment to Christ was their top priority. If the rich young ruler had trusted Jesus’ call to leave all and follow Him, he too would have had a place among the disciples.

Hannah brought her sorrow to the Lord and left with a sense of purpose and joy. The young ruler came to Jesus with his accomplishments and success and went away in sorrow. The difference between these two was trust. One trusted personal accomplishments and one trusted God.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33 NLT

God isn’t out to ruin our lives, He wants to complete it!

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Which Box?

Do you have a tendency to compartmentalize your life?

Family, work, health, friends, finances, social activities. Everything has to be kept in its own little box, not touching or interfering with the others, like vegetables on a dinner plate, we don’t let them blend.

Many people do that with the Lord. It’s ok for Him to have their Sunday or days when times are tough, but they aren’t ready to allow Him to permeate each area of their everyday lives.

Yesterday’s blog dealt with opening our heart’s door and letting Jesus in. Welcoming Him in a warmer way than we do with family and friends. Today, we need to look at giving Him full access to every area of our lives.

I found an interesting assessment of the Lord in the book of I Kings. Benhadad, a foreign king, had attacked Ahab, king of Samaria. The Israelites had gone to aid in the fight. King Benhadad was defeated, his officers needed to find a reason for his defeat and this is what they told him.

“King Ben-Hadad’s officers said to him, ‘The gods of Israel are mountain gods. We fought in a mountain area, so the Israelites won. If we fight them on level ground, we will win.'” I Kings 20:23 ERV

God won’t be kept in a box. God won’t be limited. This was the Lord’s reply to their attempt to confine his involvement.

“A man of God came to the king of Israel with this message: ‘The Lord said, “The people of Aram said that I, the Lord, am a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys. So I will let you defeat this great army. Then all of you will know that I am the Lord, wherever you are!’” I Kings 20:28 ERV

The same holds true in our lives.

The Lord wants to show that He is the Lord, wherever we are. God wants to be involved in every aspect of what we do. He has the knowledge, the plan and the power to bring us through in victory. He wants to be Lord over every area of our lives.

“Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.” Colossians 3:16-17 CEV

Our lives should be completely filled with the message of Christ, letting Him have every area, holding nothing back. Then whatever we say or do will be done to honor Him.

We have all given the Lord limited access in our lives at one time or another. Isn’t it time to let Him have it all? No more putting Him in a box. Let the Lord bring the victory we need in every area.

“Then all of you will know that I am the Lord, wherever you are!”

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He Brews

This morning’s blog could also be entitled, “Where There’s a Will There’s A Way”, but since it’s about coffee I went with what I thought was a cuter title.

Rarely is our home without coffee so you can imagine my shock when I discovered Friday morning that I had no more coffee stored in the freezer. The canister had enough for Saturday’s pot and then we were out. Our favorite coffee has been missing from our grocery store shelves.

What to do? I went on-line and did what any self-respecting coffee drinker would do, I ordered from Amazon with a promise of next day delivery. It must have been the late hour I ordered or the fear of not having coffee for this morning’s brew but in my haste I didn’t see that I ordered coffee beans.

Yesterday when the order arrived Dave brought it in from the driver and the look on his face was puzzling. He asked, “you ordered coffee beans?”. No…but I had. We don’t have a coffee grinder, ugh. Dave laughed and said, “well, you can always beat them with a hammer”. Not funny!

No problem, I have a food processor. Oh yes, that’s what I did, I’m embarrassed to admit it but it’s true. It wasn’t ground fine enough to get a good brew but there is coffee in the pot this morning and that’s all that matters. I have Dave’s promise that we will go to town and buy a coffee grinder. (I just sold one we never used in a garage sale before we moved.)

I could have gone to town yesterday and bought coffee but not my favorite blend. I could have gone to town yesterday late after my coffee order arrived and bought a grinder but I’m more determined and resourceful than that.

This morning as I was sipping my weak cup of coffee and thinking about what to share the words He Brews came to mind and I knew I had to share my blight but first I needed a verse to tie it all together.

“6 But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.” Hebrews 11:6 CEV

I went through all the above to satisfy my palate for a pot of my favorite coffee. What amount of time and effort I am willing to expend in searching for God who satisfies my soul?

Why is it hard some mornings to sit down and pick up my Bible and study? Time spent in the Word is much more beneficial than a second-rate grinding of coffee beans. People are hurting; they’ve lost loved ones. Parents have lost newborns; spouses have lost their mates. Mental anguish has invaded homes in a similar manner to cancer invading a body; we need to be able to give hope to those who have lost theirs.

When we believe that God is real, we must search for Him. When we search for Him, we will find Him – He’s not hiding, and He will reward us in our search. He will replace our pain with His peace, our confusion with His comfort, our fear with His forgiveness, our loneliness with His love.

If the silliness of my search for coffee taught you anything I hope it was this; put your efforts into searching out the things that have eternal value. Coffee is good but God is great!

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Continue to Focus

There hasn’t been a day since I was in the fifth grade that I didn’t realize the importance of being able to focus.

That’s when it became obvious that I wasn’t seeing correctly. Things were blurry, very blurry. As I sat on the piano bench, I would lean in so the notes on the page would come into focus. My teacher told Mom that she thought I was having a hard time seeing what was written on the black board. I found myself sitting closer to the TV to see my favorite shows.

Mom took me to the optometrist, and I was assessed with myopia; I was near-sighted, and it was pretty bad. I remember the first day I went to school wearing glasses – it was horrible. I thought they were pretty, but they were thick and heavy and made me look awkward. It was bad enough that I was a band geek but now I had glasses to boot. I remember being so self-conscious.

But I could see and eventually that outweighed the negatives. One of the first things I do each morning is put on my glasses (if I’m not wearing my contacts). I never take seeing clearly for granted.

I guess that’s why I start each morning with prayer time and reading my Bible, I like having things focused properly. It’s not a one-time event, focus once and forget it – no, it’s a daily practice. I need to keep focused on what the Lord says about me and to me.

I have several places in my Bible that I read each morning. They set the tone for the day. I hope you will focus on one of them with me this morning.

“With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise his holy name! 2 With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been. 3 The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, 4 and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. 5 Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle. 6 For all who are mistreated, the Lord brings justice…The Lord is merciful! He is kind and patient, and his love never fails. 9 The Lord won’t always be angry and point out our sins; 10 he doesn’t punish us as our sins deserve. 11 How great is God’s love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth!” Psalm 103:1-6, 8-11 CEV

You may be spiritually near-sighted, only seeing what’s closest to you and not able to get the whole picture clearly or you may be spiritually far-sighted, only seeing heaven in the sweet by and by and missing the Lord’s love and provision for each day.

Get your eyes checked and your vision corrected; continue to focus on God’s amazing love and the power of His word.

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Beginning Again

This will be my sixty-eighth new year. For many years I paid no attention to the changing year on the calendar. When I was a young teen it was an opportunity to stay up until midnight to watch the “new year come in”.

In my late 40’s I took on the attitude that the new year would come if I was awake or asleep and I would go to bed whenever but in my 50’s something changed. Not with the time I would go to bed but with my heart.

Some time within the first few days of the year, when family and friends have gone, Dave and I take communion. We dedicate ourselves, our home and the activities of the upcoming year to the Lord.

“In the beginning God”!

I can’t think of a better way to start anything than with the recognition that God, the Father, Jesus, the Son and the Holy Spirit need to be with me at the beginning of whatever it is I’m about to do.

“Before the world began, the Word was there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was there with God in the beginning. 3 Everything was made through him, and nothing was made without him.” John 1:1-3 ERV

Christ, the Word, was with God, the Father, in the beginning and He desires to be with us in our beginnings. The beginning of life, schooling, careers, marriage, parenthood, a new year, a new day. Whatever has a beginning He desires to be first.

“Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 CEB

Maybe this is your fortieth or fiftieth new year but in all those years you have never really committed one to the Lord. This can be your first new year of dedication, seeking the Father’s purpose.

“God’s Son was before all else, and by him everything is held together. 18 He is the head of his body, which is the church. He is the very beginning, the first to be raised from death,
so that he would be above all others. 19 God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. 20 And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross” Colossians 1:17-20 CEV

We have a new year before us, we are beginning again. None of us know what 2022 will be like but our Father does, and we can have confidence in Him and His love for us. Let’s begin again making Him our priority.

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Get the Right Focus

Several months ago I was able to purchase a new camera. It isn’t anywhere near top-of-the-line but it’s the best camera I have ever owned. I so appreciate a friend, Scott, who knows more about these things than I and he gave me some excellent recommendations.

I was determined to learn to use this camera to the best of my ability. I even sat down several afternoons and watched YouTube tutorials, with camera in hand. And then life happened.

Things got busy and we headed to the mountains for the summer. What I didn’t realize when we left is that our internet service would be as limited as it is and I wouldn’t be able to rely on that on-line instruction and training that I wanted to learn more about aperture, shutter speed, manual focus, etc.

I know having an understanding of these things will aid me immensely in creating better shots. However, I am lacking in knowledge and experience. I have found that the best camera setting for me at this time is “IA” mode, which means intelligent auto mode. Basically, with that setting the camera takes over for me and gets me the best shots available because of my limited knowledge. I am content with that.

It keeps me focused. Obviously the image I used this morning is one I took trying to use my own settings. It’s blurry!

Isn’t that the way it is with life?

There is so much that can distract us, lead us off course and blur our vision. More education, a newer house, a different job, retirement, more fulfilling relationships. Our mind’s eye dashes here and there trying to focus on what is most important and how to achieve it.  There is really no matter greater to trust with the  “intelligent auto” setting for our lives than the Lord.

“Your eyes are like a window for your body. When they are good, you have all the light you need. 23 But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. If the light inside you is dark, you surely are in the dark.” Matthew 6:22 CEV

The Apostle Paul was very aware of this. He had so many things happening in his life he had to be reminded to stay focused.  He was responsible for the teaching and care of thousands of new Christians, he was being persecuted in nearly every town he preached in and finally he was imprisoned in Rome for the teachings of Christ. He was focused on the finish line.

“I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven.” Philippians 3:14 ERV

When we walk with the Lord and learn to depend upon His word our skills will improve and we will be able to utiltize more of what the Lord has available for us. However, we never want to lose focus of what should be at the center of our lives.

“But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 6:33 CEV

Stay focused on what’s most important, everything else will fall into place.

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My Greatest Desire

What’s the one thing you desire most?

I would like to say that my one thing is to honor and serve the Lord, but many times my days are so wrapped up in my own pursuits that the Lord is put somewhere further down the line. Just being honest folks – if we aren’t honest with ourselves we can’t and won’t serve the Lord the way we should.

“LORD, teach me your laws, and I will always follow them. 34 Help me understand your teachings, and I will follow them. Obeying them will be my greatest desire. 35 Help me follow your commands, because that makes me happy. 36 Give me the desire to follow your rules, not the desire to get rich. 37 Don’t let me look at worthless things. Help me live your way. 38 Do what you promised me, your servant, so that people will respect you. 39 Take away the shame I fear. Your laws are good. 40 See how much I want to obey your instructions! Be good to me, and let me live.” Psalm 119:33-40 ERV

King David had a “greatest desire” mentality.

The Bible says that David was a man after God’s heart. He wanted to serve God will all his natural ability but that wasn’t enough, he wanted more. He knew he needed God’s help if he was truly going to follow God’s word.

David didn’t just sit by each day and have harps playing in the background, eating grapes and contemplating the greatness and vastness of God.

His life was full – he had a kingdom to run, he had wives and children, there were enemies to defeat and battles to be won. Yet his priority was God’s word – he wasn’t seeking wealth or power – but those things came to him. He was “seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things were added to him.” David was living the very thing that Jesus taught but he was living it hundreds of years before Jesus delivered the message.

Jesus said “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” John 6:38

Have you ever looked at a single day in the life of Jesus? From the time He got up until late at night he was busy. His daily life was filled with walking, sailing, healing, teaching, facing his critics and raising the dead. When he did take time to pray and be alone, people would seek him out and interrupt his prayer time. He had learned the Scriptures from his youth and was living them out each and every day.

Reading one verse from the Bible and living it all day long will have more of an impact on our lives and the lives of others than reading chapters and not having it change us.

I like this part in today’s verses. “Don’t let me look at worthless things. Help me live your way.”

It begs the question “what worthless things am I looking at”?

Like King David, our goal should be to live in a way that people know we are depending on the Lord.

My heart’s desire is to do more than read the Word today – I want to live it!

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Good Morning

Most mornings I have no problem at all rising early. It’s been my way of life for over thirty years. For me, sleeping in is not getting up until after 6 am. But this morning is different.

I woke up but the idea of getting up wasn’t a pleasant thought. Have you ever had a morning like that?

The coffee has just finished brewing and my first cup is about half gone. My heart is focused and there is a prayer on my lips. “Lord, let me use this day to honor You. I need Your strength and wisdom for this day. I’m not sure what You have planned for me today but I know it’s good because You always want the best for me. I love you Father, I love you Jesus, I love you Holy Spirit. Thank you for being all I need. In Jesus name.”

Getting up early to spend time with the Lord is never a waste of time.

Give Me Jesus by Fernando Ortega

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
But give me Jesus

In the quiet I find it easier to hear the Father speaking to my heart. There are no text messages to interrupt, no emails requiring answers and no distractions to sidetrack me.

“Be proud of his holy name.  You followers of the Lord, be happy! 4 Depend on the Lord for strength. Always go to him for help. 5 Remember the amazing things he has done.  Remember his miracles and his fair decisions.” Psalm 105:3-5 ERV

I depend on the Lord for my strength. He’s always there to help!

I’m praying for those of you who woke early and are having a hard time getting started this morning. I’m praying that you are strengthened for the day; energized for the opportunities ahead. We don’t know what appointments God has for us today. Does someone need encouragment – a kind word, help with a task? Maybe one of our family need some one-on-one time to express their heart. Is the Father putting someone on your heart who needs prayer for healing, for peace, for a miracle? It’s these kind of things that I hear the Father speaking to my heart in the early morning.

Second cup of coffee is almost gone and I am excited to see what the day has in store.

“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

I can’t wait to see what good plan the Father has for me and He has one for you too!

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