Pause for thought
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When the Apostle Paul was led to write encouraging words of advice to the church he had planted in Philippi, he wanted to emphasize the importance of getting our daily priorities straight. He wanted the believers to make obedience to God’s sovreign will the first, last and highest importance for each day of life. He wanted to assure them that such obedience led to the highest possible rewards and cited the obedience of Jesus Himself as an example:

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 NLT

And what was true for the first century Philippians is still true for us today. When Christ has first place in our life, we will experience many blessings. Counting blessings is always an exercise in futulity, but we can certainly enumerate a few that are notable.

For example we would have to include the blessing of a quiet spirit. For as we turn our attention to the Lord and meditate on His Word, He “leads us beside quiet waters,” where we find rest for our soul.

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. Psalm 23:2 NLT.

A quieted heart and mind make us better able to discern what God is saying to us.

Putting God first brings us the blessing of a stronger faith.

Studying Scripture will enlarge our view of God and give us insight and direction. Our faith will grow as we follow His guidance and watch how He works on our behalf.

Making God our highest priority produces the blessing of a pure heart.

The Bible is like a a mirror, it reflects back to us who we truly are and reveals where we need to change. When we confess our sin, God promises to cleanse us from all unrighteousness:

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 NLT.

God’s priorities bring the blessing of a mind which is prepared for the future no matter what it may bring.

He wants to prepare us for what the future holds —both the joyous times and the hard ones. Through the Holy Spirit’s ministry, we will be equipped for whatever life brings.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3 NLT.

In his life, Paul demonstrated what it means to give Jesus first place. Because he made Christ the Lord of his life, the apostle knew joy amid trials and received the strength to face turmoil and difficulty.

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NLT

These blessings will also be ours when we give highest priority to our relationship with Jesus. Valuing our own priorities above God’s leads us into the sin of idolatry, worshipping ourselves instead of Him! You know that does not end well!

Let’s get our priorities straight!

The world will be all the better for it!

Blessings on you and yours, Jim Black

P.S. if you’d like to read previous ruminations of mine they can be found at https://www.salvationarmyconcordca.org/chronicle/?category=Bible%20Study

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