Deuteronomy 10:12-13
So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God, with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I'm commanding you today—live a good life.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Over the weekend, my husband and I attended the wedding of one of my former Sunday School students, whose parents are good friends of ours. As we were seated, the girls who were presiding over the guest book handed us a card on which to sign our name. “Write out some advice for the couple,” they told us. I signed our names to the card and wrote, “Always put God first… and never go to bed angry.” Had I thought a little longer and harder, I could have possibly written something clever, but I’m not sure I could have written anything that will serve them better in life. I wish I had been able to quote Deuteronomy 10:12-13… because this passage says it all in a neat, concise form!
I could also have quoted Mark 12:30… “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (KJV) But truly, when we put God first, everything else falls into place, doesn’t it? Because to truly put Him first, we must follow the road He sets out for us… love Him… serve Him with everything we have in us… and obey His commandments and regulations. When we do this, we can’t help but live a good life.
When you think about your own life… and times when you feel like things weren’t going so well… just how close were you to God? Did you trust Him and praise Him even when you suffered illness or injury – loss of one kind of another – or something of a failed experience? Did you continue to look to God for strength when things were going extraordinarily well… or did you get cocky and decide you could handle things on your own? Do you stew and stress, argue and fight, criticize and complain… or do you “love one another” as outlined in 1 John 4:7-12? Do you look the other way and pretend not to hear when others rebuke God or take His name in vain? Do you truly respect and revere Him at all times?
In order to fully serve God, we have to live in His presence in both the big things and the little ones. We have to follow the road He sets out for us every day… not just when it feels good or we are in dire straits.
The more I think about it, the more I believe my advice to the newlyweds was solid. When we truly put God first in everything, the rest will follow. Life may not always be easy – or fun – but God will bless us in the end… and the results will all be good. Are you putting God first in everything? Isn’t it time you did?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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