Put God First

And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”  Exodus 20:1-6

It is so easy to get caught up in the things of this world; both the good things and the problems.  For instance, I was having some problems with my phone this past week and I found myself getting irritated, frustrated, impatient, and angry over the problem.  When I realized how upset I was getting over the problem, I had to stop myself, calm down, and change my focus.  I had to remind myself that this was really a trivial problem which would eventually be solved, and that I just needed to have some patience.  I also had to remember how blessed I am and that other people are a lot worst off than I am and have a lot more serious problems than I do.

When the Scripture listed above says “You shall have no other gods before Me” it’s not just talking about other religions.  It is referring to anything you put before God:  money, your job, your family, your possessions, the TV, your problems, and so on.  We should always put God first and not let other things get in the way.  God wants to be in a relationship with us!!!  When we read Scripture and pray to God everyday, it helps us to stay in a relationship with Him, to stay connected to Him, and to stay focused on Him.  It’s especially important to do this first thing in the morning because it puts our focus on God right away and starts our day off right.  I know that putting aside time each day to pray and read Scripture can sometimes seem difficult because we are all so busy, but that’s what we should strive for.  I think you will find that it is worth the effort!!! 

I recently heard a saying that I really like: “JOY stands for Jesus, Others, Yourself”.  This means that we should put Jesus first, then others, then yourself.  This will help you to keep your focus straight and your life in perspective, both the good things and the problems, and it will bring you joy!!! 

So always remember to put God first….and remember to thank Him for His many blessings!!!

Dear God,

Thank You for Your many blessings!!!  Help me to always put You first!!!  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen