Reflecting on our priorities and need for God

Mat 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

This morning when I woke up I picked up my tablet to see what time it was, and there was a YouTube video that popped up, and I clicked on it! Many of us know exactly what I am talking about. We arise early in the morning and for some odd reason, which is really not that important we grab some electronic media and look at the news, maybe email, maybe Facebook or some other favorite app.  (Many people, not all people, just be honest)  

Anyway, as I looked at my tablet, there were a few YouTube videos posted on the screen and one caught my attention and the title was: Warning: “Start making God your priority from today.” I clicked on it and it was a good video. What a way to start the day! Right? The preacher was talking about priorities and our need for God. It was a very encouraging video that made me think about priorities and needs.

So after listening to that video, it stirred me up and I began to think about Church, priorities, and needs as it relates to my own life. But the LORD also wanted me to encourage someone under the sound of my voice why it is important to take the time to reflect on priorities and needs in our lives. One of the things that Corona-virus did was shake up the world systems. I mean everything we do and engage in was shaken, and is still being shaken. (need I remind you, it’s not over yet)

Religious systems, employment systems, financial systems, government systems, entrepreneurial and business systems, malls, stores, relationships and so much more were all “shifted or shutdown.” It is as if God allowed the entire world to be shut down for a season so that we could reflect and reprioritize and truly understand our need for God.

I don’t know about you, but we cannot miss the point when these things occur, and we cannot go back to doing the things we did before. Because if we do, we will miss what God is saying and doing in this season, and we will make the same mistakes over again. Remember the video I mentioned earlier, it said: “Warning: Start making God your priority from today.”

I want to ask you a question, how important are the things of God in your life right now, and what are your priorities and needs?  Think about this; the things that you value and prioritize most, are the things you put first in your life.  The Bible confirms this in Mat 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  Jesus is saying that what you put your heart into most , is what you value and treasure most! (so true)

Jesus also said in the same chapter in Matt 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

How many of us are seeking first the Kingdom of God and making spiritual things a priority in our life like personal prayer; (I’m not talking about a prayer line), personal Bible study; (I’m not talking about church Bible study), personal worship; (I’m not talking about attending a worship service), and personal obedience and servitude, (I’m not talking about cause the Pastor said it .) (somebody say ouch!)

What can happen is that we fall into a religious rut of doing things, and not understanding the prioritization of our relationship with the LORD and our need for God.  Think about this for a moment, the things we want most, and need most, we put quality time into it. Most of the time it is material or physical things, like a job, a business, a craft, a car and anything else that is a priority. We put more time into those things than we do with God. Think about it, you spend an enormous amount of time doing stuff to please you and others. Now understand, there is nothing wrong with it, unless it is out of balance.

One of the churches in the Book of Revelation, the Church of Laodicea, (the lukewarm Church) received a rebuke from the LORD in Rev 3:17, and the LORD said, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” 

At the beginning of the year, the LORD gave me a Word that we need to see how God sees. Can you see that the Church of Laodicea saw themselves a certain way, but God saw them another way? Let us not fall into that trap! When we prioritize other things, we can lose focus.

The LORD wanted me to remind everyone reading this, that we need him more than we need anything in this world. Never forget that you need God more than anything in this world. The time that most of us spend with God is little compared to everything else we do in this world!

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we don’t have to struggle to accomplish anything in the LORD. Yes, we need commitment and to work hard, but let remember the words of Heb 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”   What do you have need of today? What is it that you need from the LORD?  Remember the LORD said in Matt 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

People of God, don’t let the spirit of this world neutralize you in your faith and relationship with God, his leaders (true leaders) and his people. We should never go through the motions of life or religion. Keep your faith strong, keep your fire burning for the things of God, and remember three things that I always say to the people of God, and I will say it again:

1. Stay focused – Refocus your vision to see clearly those things that matter most and please God.
2. Stay faithful – Never allow your faith to be watered down, and stay true to that which pleases God most which is faithfulness.
3. Stay fruitful – Grow in God, grow in your faith and always produce good spiritual fruit.

Now because God is the first, he desires that we put him first in all that we have and do. Why? Because God is first, and the first is holy unto the LORD. How many of us know that God is not second, will never be second, and we cannot treat him as second!  God even said in Exodus 20:

Exo 20:1  And God spoke all these words, saying: 

Exo 20:2  “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 

Exo 20:3  “You shall have no other gods before Me. 

In other words, I am not another god. I am the First and the Last God, and you shall not have another god or idol in your life that takes first place in your life! Did you know that the LORD himself instituted the law of the first in the earth!  As a matter of fact, look what the scripture says about the first.

Exo 22:29  “You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe produce and your juices. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me.

Mar 10:31  But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Mar 10:44  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.

Mar 12:28  Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”

Mar 12:29  Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.

Mar 12:30  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.

Luk 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.

The New Testament also gives us wisdom as it relates to giving the first to the LORD:

1 Cor 16:2  On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

2 Cor 8:5  And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

2 Cor 8:12  For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

The New Testament also gives us wisdom as it relates to Gods judgment and the first:

1 Pet 4:17  For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

The New Testament also gives us wisdom as it relates to Gods love and the first:

1 John 4:19  We love Him because He first loved us.

Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

So what does this mean for you and me? Well the Bible is clear for us as believers in Christ. Everything that we acquire or do, we should first give glory to God and give it back to him.  Jesus confirms everything we have said with one very profound scripture:

Mat 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 

I have a question for each and every one us reading this. What priority does the Kingdom of God have in your life?  Do you give God honor and praise by seeking him first in everything in your life? Do you honor him first in the morning or do you honor other things?  Do you honor and give God a first of all that you earn on your paycheck even after after the government takes their 15-20% in taxes?

Solomon the wise man said something interesting in Prov 3:9, “Honor the LORD with your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase.”

Solomon reminds us that God is first in this scripture by saying, every time you get blessed, honor God by giving back a portion of it to him. Seeking God first, and putting God first in everything we do, shows honor and gratitude to the Most High for all that he has blessed and graced us with. Putting God first says, “I love you LORD and I acknowledge that you are God, and everything I have came from you, and I am only giving back first to you, that which belongs to you!”

TODAY, Let us reflect on our priorities and needs, and never allow anything in this world to be first in our lives!  The Most High God is first priority and above all, He will supply all of our need according to his riches in glory through Jesus Christ our LORD and Savior!

Be blessed!

Pastor Jamal E. Quinn