But, weeks like this make it difficult to truly put God first. We get so involved, so caught up in that “daily grind” that we lose sight of time. The next thing we know, we haven’t stopped at any point and spent time with God. This happens without us even realizing what happened until its too late. Then we look back and realize that what we let happen is that we allowed Satan to use the things of this world to suck God right out of our lives without us even realizing what he was doing. We must remember that Satan is the “god of this world” and, as such, he uses the things of this world to lure us away from God. That is why we are given the very emphatic warning from God in 1 John 2:15-17 where John writes, “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”
In our Wednesday evening Bible class we have really gotten into a study of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 where Jesus addresses this very problem. Jesus pointed out to those to whom He was preaching this great sermon that this letting the world take prominence in their lives was a very serious thing. He emphasized that there is nothing in this world worth giving up heaven for. All in this world will, at some point, be destroyed and none of it will be left. All of us will spend eternity in one of two destinations, heaven or hell, and, we will not take one physical thing with us to either one of them. We must ask ourselves, are we truly seeking God’s kingdom first above every thing else (Matthew 6:33). If we choose to do something other than attend Bible study or attend worship then, obviously, God is not first in our lives. The old saying that actions speak louder than words is absolutely true.
Brethren, we must remember that no matter what Satan offers us, throws at us or tries to bribe us with, there is nothing in this world that can even begin to compare with what our God has waiting for us if we remain faithful to Him and truly put Him first as He has commanded us to do. Read the last two chapters of Revelations and renew that picture of heaven in your own mind. Remind yourself of what it will mean to receive that crown of life that is promised to those who are “faithful unto death” (Rev. 2:10). My friend, this crown can be yours, God wants it to be yours and Christ died so it can be yours. BUT, it is up to you! The decisions, the choices are yours to make. You decide whether or not to put God first in your life.
Until next week, I love you all,
Dan